Daily independent. [volume] (Elko, Nev.) 188?-1915, 1912-11-02

the last few days, to fathom the
motive inspiring the most uusual
and yindictive campaign Of publ.
city that has ever been waged in
Elko county. and the article in the
Weekly Free Press of November 1,
1912, headed Assessment Roll is
Short Thousands of Acres"
furnishes the key to the situation,
and shows why such a determined
effort is being made on the part of
certain people to gain control of
certain county offices.
This article charges that w. M.
Weathers, the present county
assessor. and candidate for re-elec-
ton on the Democrat. ticket, has
been grossly inefficient in the per-
formance of his official duty, in
that he has failed to list and assess
thousands and thousands of acres of
contract and patented land to the
owners, thereby raising the burden
from their shoulders to other tax
payers; that in addition thereto, he
has failed to list for taxation, in
the aggregate, more than $500
town Is.
A more deliberate ATTEMPT to
mislead the public of Elko county
or anywhere else, has never been
made by anv party or person. 1t is
probably true that in almost every
agricultural county, and certainly
in county of the extent of Elko,
where there are miles and miles OF
absolutely uninhahited and un.
occupied land, some government,
some unsurveyed, some under
railroad grant and unpatented and
some withdrawn under various
government projects and reclamation
schemes, and all practically exempt
from taxation. that there is a
certain amount of land omitted.
1t is probably true alsa that in
great holdings, such as exist in
Elko county, that there are con-
siderable tracts of lands not listed
by the owners, but it does not
follow, as day follows night. that
this commission on the part of the
owners is due to fraud, or their de-
sire to evade taxation, for without
doubt, these owners themselves do
not know the exact extent and
o. nership of these lands. especially
if they are outside lands, which as
been yet, in many cases, have never
privately surveyed, end the location
of which has never been determin-
ed Neither does it follow, nor is
it at all probable, that Mr..
Weathers or any other assessor has
ever .connived with any owner in
emitting these lands.
1t is true that these lands can
only be correctly listed and their
ownership determined by the
county having prepared, for the
use Of its assessor, maps Of present
ownership. No assessor could
possibly ascertain this information
himself, and no assessor in Elko
county has ever undertaken to,
or been expected to accomplish
this, for If the people of Elkn
county have been endowed
with one characteristic, it has been
common sense and reasonableness,
and Mr.. Weathers' opponent. if
elected. could not possibly do any
better in this regard than hav' his
predecessors, but in his pledge to
the people Of Elko c'unty il elect
ed, he furnishs TIE clue to the
entire situation when he promises
TO MAKE OR H.VE MADE a
present ownership map Of Elko
county.
Why has not this present owner
ship map bee made to date? In this
regard we wish to state in answer
to the intimation in the Free Press
article, that other counties have
similar maps" that we do not
believe that more than one or two