Evening capital news. (Boise, Idaho) 1901-1927, 1912-10-16
Martin. SPEAKS
ON TAXATION IN
FREMONT COUNTY
Large Crowds Greet the Pro
gressive Candidate for
Governor at Both Ashton
and Rexburg.
Capital News Special service)

(Capital News Special Service)
Rexburg. Oct. 16.-G. H. Martin, Pro-
gressive nominee for governor, had
fine. enthusiastic meetings yesterday
afternoon at Ashton and last night at
Rexburg. He spoke upon the question
of taxation which he has found to be a
vital one with the people wherever he
has been. He gave statistics showing
how the state land board had favored
the big corporations of the state at
the expense Of the farmers and other
small taxpayers and demanded 20 know
Of Governor Hawley and the state
board Of equalization why they had not
prosecuted the assessors who had fail
ed to value the electric and power
plants at Nampa and elsewhere at any
where near their real value. He also
demanded to know why the state board
itself had failed to value railroads like
the Idaho & Washington Northern and
the Spokane International at their full
value and why they had valued elec-
trio lines at Boise at about one-fifth
Of the value that they had actually
sold for spot cash.
Mr.. Martin also found that the peo-
pie OF Fremont county are in hearty
sympathy with him in his demand for
a public utilities commission and on
his attitude toward the sale of state
lands. He called attention to tho
plank in the Republican state platform
designed to sell the states rich timber
holdings to the great timber syndicate
OF the state in large quantities. a de-
mand even being made for a constitu-
tional amendment so that the sale can
be made In larger quantities. He spoke
in part as follows on the taxation
question and on public utilities:
How Fremont Was Stuck.
"Now, here in RI -InoIii county, the
state board Of equalization assessed
the railroads in 1912 at $6.15S.995. The
same properties were assessed in 1911
at $5,27S,290. or an increase OF 16 per
cent. in 1912. This is an average valu-
alton Of a trifle over $4,000 per mile.
These lines OF the Oregon Short Line,
however. are capitalized on the basis
Of over $4,000 mile and the company
asks you to pay rates on that valu-
alton, but when it gets ready to pay
taxes to you 1t pays on the basis of
$36. 900 per mile. This condition exists
because our Democratic governor, Mr..
Hawley. who Is a candidate for re-
election. and our Republican secretary
Of state, MIR. Clifford, and our Repun-
lican state treasurer. Mr.. Allen, who
are both candidates for reelection,
and two other Republican members OF
the state board of equalization vio-
lated the law requiring full cash valu-
alton on all properties in this state.
This same board OF equalization,
however, did not propose to be charged
with a Violation Of the law when 1t
came to equalizing the value OF the
properties Of the ranchers of Fremont
county. They raised your valuations
as follows: Irrigated lands. 25 per
cent; grazing lands. 20 per cent: COM
mon cattle. 2j per cent; cows. 40 per
cent; grade horses. 25 per cent: other
horses. 20 per cent: mules, IS per cent:
swine, 40 per cent.
III you re-elect these three men who
are candidates for reelection. what
will they do to you In the next two
years on assessment and equalization
of property? Will they continue to
keep down the assessments Of railroads
and other properties of like kind
which they have the power to assess
because they do not pay dividends and
thus violate the law requiring full cash
value assessments and keep on raising
your valuations by equalization regarF-
less Of whether your property pays
dividends? What pledge have they
given to you that they would do differ
emily from what they have done? What
assurance have you upon which you
can rely that they will not continue to
do what they have d,ne during the
past two years? My friends, you must
not expect them to pursue any different
course than that which they have been
pursuing. They are obeying the be-
hests OF the invisible government in
stead Of obeying you whose servants
they are. You have not been able to
recall them during the past two years.
but you can do 30 and should do SO on
the fifth day Of next November.
! On the other hand, you have
my pledge that II the mer whose
the Progressive party and who
will constitute the state board
of equalization. II elected, will
increase the valuation OF the prop
critics which they have the power
to assess to their full cash value 30
that the properties We assess shall be
valued on an equal basis with yours:
that we will not regard the question OF
whether a property pays dividends or
not any more than the assessor who
values your property regards that
/