The weekly chieftain. [volume] (Vinita, Craig County, Okla.) 1905-1913, 1911-09-01
STATE LEVY TO Be
FIXED At MAXIMUM
Figures Compiled BY State Examiner
Shows State Indebtedness to Be
About 100000.

Oklahoma City, Aug. 3t.-The state
board of equalization adjourned late
Wednesday afternoon without making
a state levy and will meet again Fri
day afternoon for that purpose State
Examiner Charles A. Taylor, and
Deputy Examiners Alexander and
Hammond, produced complete figures
on the states Indebtedness, the esti-
mated cost for the fiscal years of 1912
and 1913, and the estimated revenues
from direct and indirect taxation. At
torney General West and other mem
bers of the board wanted to examine
the figures and decide on the best plan
for making the state levy.
The figures compiled by the state
examiner were not made. public, but
ii is said they show that it will require
seven million dollars to put the state
of Oklahoma on the right side of the
credit lines. The board will make the
state levy on a valuation of $1,236,361,-
Psi an increase of $4O9, ,943, ,423 over the
valuation of last year.
1t is predicted that the state levy
will be three and one-half mills, the
constitutional maximum.
A condition, not a theory, faces the
board in the heritage left the Cruce
administration by Governor Haskell
and his regime, a deficiency of five
million dollars. There are two plans
proposed by which to take care of
this, either make the levy for 1911
sufficient to take up the entire amount
and pay the current expenses of the
state, or establish a sinking amount
and pay the current expenses of the
state, or establish a sinking fund with
the intention of paying all current ex-
lpenses and enough of the deficiency
so that it would be taken up entirely
by the present administration.
While Haskell and his administra-
Iticn were in power, the yearly figures
made a plausible showing, which is
Accounted by the fact that the indirect
taxation was credited with a much
greater revenue than it ever, in reality,
produced. The consequence was, that
while the direct taxation was kept
down year by year, there was deficit
piling up for the next regime to pay.
The valuation of taxable property
lin the state of Oklahoma for the year
I1911, according to figures compiled,
by the state auditor for the board of
equalization, is 1926, 1861 1852 an in
crease from 1916, ,417829 last year. This
is the first time the total has exceeded
one billion dollars.
County valuations total $10,746,13S.O1
an increase from s6,S32, ,2455t compar-
ed with $2,231 ,932.48 in 1910 Public
service corporation valuations total
I$2,517,47451 compared with $2,291 ,9S2.-
4S in 1910.
The valuations for various classes
of public service corporations for 1911,
and 1910, are as follows: Electric
light, heat, power, water and gas
companies $14O21, ATS; for 1911, and
$5,481,312 for 1910; pipe line com
panies, $32,036,733 and $22.996,277;
street and interurban railways $685.
SIS and 81 ,602,S03; express companies
$2,957 ,495, and $S0,204; sleeping car
companies $69S, ,602 and $S26,749; tele-
graph companies 81 ,591 ,757 and $1,SOS,-
655; telephone companies $4,S55,250
and $3,135 ,429; railroad companies
1921 ,911 and $1S8, 500.
: The valuation of sleeping car COM
panies is lower for 1911 than 1910 be-
; cause of the compromise effected be-
I tween the state and the Pullman COM
= lpany, in which the latter agreed to pay
$ it's back taxes and the state to fix a
( uniform basis on which. to assess
sleeping cars, for the past year.
When a representative of the Terri
tory Illuminating company appeared
with its oft repeated plea for lower
= assessment, the board was highly
Il amused, for that company had been at
|. many previous meetings persistent, in
!. spite of it's constant failure to get re-
l. suits. Wednesday, however, it was
0 more fortunate, and secured a reduc-
a tion in its assessment from $t,1S5,000
d to S53S000 compared with the COM
s pany's own return of $53,S00. The
d Texas Pipe Line company, which made
its returns at $2,1S5, ,66s and was raised
to $3.50, 900, was reduced to conform
with the uniform basis adopted by the
!. board, to slightly below, $3,000,000.
S