American Falls press. [volume] (American Falls, Idaho) 1907-1937, 1912-10-24
BLAINE COUNTY
HIT BY new PLAN
Cash Valuation Not Popular
With the Farmers.
Great Increase in Assessment Did
Not Win Friends For HawIey,
Farms Increased More
Than Other Property.

Blaine county farmers do not need
their tax receipts in order to learn
that the cash valuation has benefit
ted them none. In 1910 the average
tax paid on land in Blaine county
was little less than 1515 cents
per acre. In 1911 the average tax
was little more than 80 cents per
acre, or a little more than double.
10 be exact. for every dollar paid in
taxes on land in 1910 the farmer
paid $2.08 in 1911. In 1910 Blaine
county had 173,650 acres of patent
ed land, on which the owners paid
S26,724. In 1911 she had 1902
acres. on which the taxes paid were
$60,053.
This increase was not due to any
sudden increase in values It was
due TO the inauguration of a new
policy of taxation forced upon the
peolpe by Governor Hawley, which
increased proportion of taxes paid
by the farmer more than any other
class. 1t was the work of a man
inexperienced in business and lack
ing practical mind.
Soon after the adjournment of the
legislature Two years ago Governor
sHawley issued his famous order that
all property must be assessed at
its cash value Assessors who did
not Live up this were threatened
With prosecution and removal from
office, and by means of a number
of strong letters written to them
by him, he succeeded in sweeping
them off their feet. Tn rsult was
that when the assessor of Blaine
county, completed his work the as
sessed value of land in 1911 had
been increased 267 per cent, while
all other classes of property as
sessed by him had been increased
only As per cent. In 1910 patent
ed lands had been only 33 percent
Of the total valuation listed by the
assessor, while in 1911 they we're
So per cent of the whole.
1t does not take much of a math-
emetician to understand how the
farmer was given the worst of it.
All his property is in sight. His
whole tract of land, his buildings,
stock and machinery Is all in sight.
1t is easy TO tell now much he had
of it. With other classes of prop
erty It is different. Even the mer-
chant himself does not know how
much stock he has on hand. and
he never knows except when he in
voices once year. An assessor
turned loose Ia a store knows little
less He does not measure all the
goods and assess by the yard, or
count the cases and fix his valua-
tions accordingly. He simply makes
q guess But out on the farm he
does not guess. He sees so many
acres OF land. so many horses and
cattle. and when he gets back at
his office it is an easy matter to fig
ure out the value And under the
stress put upon him by Hawley he
did not spare the farmer.
The record speaks for itself.
John NJ Haines has had compar-
atiye statement made the same one
that has been running IN the Press,
which shows hat Blaine county is
not the worst sufferer. Mr.. Haines
is the only man running for gov
ernor who has been practical enough
to locate the trouble. He has not
dealt in theories. He has not been
discussing the tariff progressiveism
or anything else that can be dealt
with only by congress and the
president, but has been applying
himself to the problems that will
confront him If elected. He has
found out where the trouble lies
and is in better position to sug-
gest a remedy than someone who
has not given the matter any though
or who has been shooting at nation
al problems which were out Of range
and overlooking state problems at
his very door.