The evening times. [volume] (Grand Forks, N.D.) 1906-1914, 1912-12-17
STATE LOSES BY
PRESENT SYSTEM
Of ASSESSMENTS
New Taz Commission &sisws
Actual Value is Nearly >W
Two Billion Dollars.
POINTS OUT WAY
TO BETTER ERA
Waald bissalvo Theory that North
Daketa Ia Tax Ritiden-Failure to
Enlia Enormous Amount Of Prop
@sty AlDeGcd-ltecon,men Changes.
POINTS OUT WAY
TO BETTER ERA

Tho first biennial report Of the
Nosth Dakota tax commission is now
IN tho hands Of the printer. The
eesnnlissioners were appointed last
July by Governor Burke and devoted
the ilrst four months Of their term
in North Dakota. While their re-
port il preliminary in its nature 1t
pentains much Information which will
ba now to the state and Of general
interest.
Probably the most striking infor-
nation Il contains IL that the taxable
Sf the state at Mhish %as n
reality aggregates from $500. .ooo.-
900 to $1,000. 100000. While the
commissioners find 1t impossible to
even approximate the actual figure
for the assessable wealth Of the state
they believe that property In the ag-
gregate In North Dakota is being as
sessed ct from fifteen to twenty per
the actual value Of farm lands in the
state to be not far from $s50,O00.000.
while the assessment this year was
o1ee.073.7l3.
Compaee Farm Land Values
One OF the most interesting tables
FOUND in the report. is a comparison
between the appraisement Of farm
lands as returned by the United
States census in 1910; the appraise-
mont as made by the state land de.
2artment. and the appraisemsnt lS stnta :. OF 81
when an application Ia made to the
university and school lands depart
mont for real estate loans, the applt-
cant must set value upon the land
on which he seeks q loan. Before the
loan IL made an appraisement Of the
land is made by a county board, con-
sistins Of the county auditor, the
missioners and the county superin-
tendent Of schools. This table shows
that the average price per acre as
returned by the owners Of real estate
seeking loans is $500: the average
value az found by the boards Of ap.,
Rratsement is :27:se; ey the the bnitsa S,9 tsa
assessors 1926. The assessors ap-
praisement is only 14.7 per cent OF the
appraisement Of land owners.
Taking the census value per acre,
e26.69, and the 36.s3s.897 acres list
ed for assessment the year the aggre-
gate value of all assessable land IN
to the census report all farm property.
other than land, in 1910. aggregated
$224,434,O74. For 1912 the assessa-
BILE value of city and village real es-
tate, including structures, was $29..
1888. Assum' hat this class OF
property is assessed at one-third Of
its value, which the tax commission
considers very high ratio. Its value
aggregates in round numbers $780,
100000.
Railroad Figures Low.
It is the intent of the state board
Of equalization to assess railroads at
Approximately one-fourth Of their ac-
tual value. This year they are as
sessed in round numbers at $4,000
900. which makes the aggregate value
Of this class Of property in tho state
$16S.OO0.O00. Other public service
corporations assessable by state off,
cials. $2.Ooo,o0o.
The tax commission believes that
ers of these would be greatly in excess
of $16,000.000. The last census gives
the mortgage indebtedness on farms
owned by actual operators at $47.-
s41.5s7. 1t is well known fact.
points the commission, that the mort
cages In North Dakota are greatly in
excess Of those on lands actually
owned by the operator. The bank
deposits In September. 1912, ag~re-
gated $70.302,5s4. From this amount
must be deducted the public monies
public monies in the state were on
deposit at once. they would not great
~ exceed $40. 100000 and from three
to five millions would probably he
the average deposit. "1t will he con-
ceded." runs the report, "that the
assessable monies in the state must
exceed this sum by considerable
amount. The capital stock. surplus
and profits Of hanks on the same date