Evening capital news. (Boise, Idaho) 1901-1927, 1912-10-01

at only $12,5O0 per mile. n
. an the year 1911, the eo'ss
. Valley railway was reportso 70
| . have been sold for $e00yOOo,
. and there 10 no doubt but that
. at least 9660,0o0 was paid ttsrs- .
. for. YET il, that year, the board .
. Of soualixation Of this state a.
. sssssd this property At only .
. $t36,e00, which 10 at the rats o.
| . 5000 per mile. Anosher M
| . stance. Tho Aberdeen branch
. Of the Oregon Short Line rail.
. road, running from 5lackfeot to- .
. Aberdeen is actually assessed at .
. less than the fair value Of the
. land a. farm land included in
0 it, rioht. Of. way on the basis
. Of the assessment Of the sdloin. .
. ing farrns.
Power Valuations.
IT call your attertion to the equal
lied value of power plants or ths
state. The Washington Water Power
company. having plant at Post FANS
las an eaualized value OF $2,6oO,0O"
The Telluride plant in Bannock coun-
" has an equal capacity and its equal
lied value is ss73,O00 The Idaho Con-
sol;dated Power company did have
plant at American Falls. which 1nciud-
ing 81 miles of power line has for the
past two years had an edualized Value
OF less than $4,000. And recently
this plant was sold for-so 1t Is re-
ported--a million dollars. The Sno-
shone Falls Power & Light company
las two plants, one located at sho-
shone falls and the other at the Lower
Salmon falls; the combined equalized
value on these two plants Is only $zoo'-
600. Probably, they couldn't be pur-
chased at this time for $1.00o.OoO. Tne
electric light plant at Nampa was
valued by the assessor in 1912 at $lOo'-
600. The state board Of equalization
cut that value to 100000. The plant
was sold about six months ago at
reportcd price of $4,000. There can
be no justification for any such as
easements or equalizations and make
the charge without the fear or sue
cessful contradiction that such proper
ties including railroads are not payins
their fair proportion Of the taxes nor
anywhere as great proportion there
of as they formerly paid. In other
words. that the increase in the values
OF the properties OF this state have
fallen most heavily upon the business
man. the farmer and the small prop
crty owner.
Taxpayers League Demands.
"rhere Is in this state an organiza l.
tion known as the Idaho Taxpayers
league. It has promulgated platform
on the question of taxation and the OBJ
iects of the organization are declared
to be:
"t'irs,. TO secure just and equal val
uation of all property in the state 80
that all property shall bear It's JUST
proportion of the cost of government
"Second, to demand that all govern
ment be economically administered and
that taxes be kept at the lowest hmi'
consistent with good government.
third, that full publicity shall be
giten concerning all contracts requlr'
ing the expenditures of public money
and that all work of public nature
shall be let by open competitive pid-
ding. These principles, heartily SUD
scribe, and | pledge the people OF TINS
state that if elected governor, every
effort OF mine will be expended in tht
realization of those purposes wan
10 pledge the people OF the state vi
Idaho another thing, and that 49, ina
whenever they or any OF them come
before the board OF equalization, II II
be composed Of the candidates on the
Progressive ticket they shall have
fair hearing and insofar as that boar'
of caualiza ton has power to dc it, they
shall have every relief to which tn
business of their cause entities them
Every interest in the state shall have
fair and lust treatment and no maj
,vi,, be called a foor or "a tax dodgcr
whom he comes before that board o
equalization and makes his application
t,,,. re,iof
pub,ic ut;l;t;es.
",yc helicve in > public utilities com
.,.s,o,, Sunnose that Won are not get
80, ,,rn,er ,e,enhone electric light o
,,.a,,r .oryicc. sunnose mat YOU do no
.,a, n,nn.r street ear or railway scr
IT,. snnnosc that vonr rates are high
-. ,tan arc necessary ,o nav a fair re
~, .;,,I i,,.,.toa a., ,,,h