The log cabin Democrat. [volume] (Conway, Ark.) 1908-current, 1912-05-23
ASSESSMENT Time
HAS COME AGAIN
INSTRUCTIONS ARE GIVEN
UNIFORMITY OF VALUATIONS
IS URGED BY STATE TAN
COMMISSION.

Assessor W. n. Jones, who begins
his tour of the county for the purpose
of listing the personal property of the
county for taxation on June 3, has re-
ceived a lengthy letter of instructions
from the tax commission The same
instructions were sent to every asses
sor in the state, in an effort to pro-
mote uniformity in the assessments
The assessors are urged to assess the
property of the whole county uni
formly This does not mean that each
COW, horse, watch, etc, must be ap-
praised at one price everywhere, but
that the same percentage of value
shall be adopted. The assessor is
also instructed to use care in seeing
that every character of property, ev-
erything of value is listed.
The rule for assessing merchants
and manufacturers is to assess the
average amount of stock carried dur
ing the year 1911-12; or, if not in
business the full year, the average for
the time in business. Merchants just
beginning business should assess the
stock on hand Manufacturers should
list as part of their stock the aver
age value of raw materials and goods
in process of manufacture. They
should also list as part of their
manufacturers stock all engines and
machinery of every description. The
commission declares merchandise and
manufactured articles are far too low,
and that while livestock is assessed
at so per cent, merchandise, ETC., fall
below that rate.
The assessors are instructed that
one-half the sum of the capital stock,
surplus, undivided profits and time
deposits less the assessed value of the
banks real estate for the year 1912,
should be the banks personal assess
ment. Banks are not entitled to cred
1T for United States bonds, bonds of
any other kind, stocks in other COM
panies or for any property otherwise
assessed, except real estate.
A member of the tax commission
will visit each county during the pc
Rod the assessments are being made
and will assist in the assessment of
corporations, and assessors are in
structed to insist on the form pre-
scribed by the statutes should be fol-
lowed
In closing the commission says:
The commission urges that prop
erty be assessed on a basis of so per
cent of is full value. By this is not
meant 80 per cent of what the tax
payer returns the property, but so
per cent of what the property is act
ually worth. Assessing officers in a
few counties last year conceived the
idea that the proposition of assessing
on so per cent basis meant that
they should divide the valuation fixed
by the taxpayer on each item of his
property by two, and assess the prop
erty at just half what the list show
ed. This was wrong.
The supreme court of the state
has held that an assessment of prop
erty on so per cent basis is a legal
assessment, provided other property
in the county was assessed no higher.
The courts have also held that the
assessor has the right to fix what he
thinks is a fair value of property re-
CARELESS of the rendition as made by
the taxpayer 1t is the assessors
duty to assess the property of his
county as near uniformity as possible.
If he knowingly permits one man to
assess at lower per cent than
another is assessed, he neglects his
duty and violates his oath of office. "