The Pensacola journal. (Pensacola, Fla.) 1898-1985, 1913-03-07
ANNUAL REPORT
COMPTROLLER
IS INTERESTING
IT is QUITE VoLuMfNous AND
DEALS WITH TAXATION OF THE
STATE - EScAM5iA COUNTY
RANKS THIRD.
SPECIAL TO THE JOURNAL.

Knott, has just come from the press
and is filled with interesting data.
The report is quite voluminous neces-
sarily as it deals with taxation in the
state and the reports of>tne various
officials of the counties whose duties
are in connection with the assessment
and collection of revenue.
Two Repcrts-On account OF the size
the comptroller issued his report in
two sections this year, Il separate sec
ton being devoted to the banks and
trust companies. The main report
contains over 500 pages and to the un-
tiated looks like rather dry reading
at first sight, but every page Of the
report is of special interest to some
county or section and there is much of
unusual interest to the general public
when compiled in a readable article.
Increased Valuations-The total as
sessed valuation of all property in the
state for the past year was s212,Ss7,-
SIS. Ten years ago, or in 1902, the
total valuation was S102,047,9S7. This
shows gain of over one hundred per
cent within the ten years. 1t is also
irdisput a BILE evidence that the state
has prospered greatly.
misunderstanding main heads Of
taxes, according to ad valorem taxa
ton, is: Real estate, personal prop
erty, railroads, telegraph. and sleeping
and parlor cars. In round numbers
real estate values are s140,000,000, per-
sonal property $3S,o0o,90o, and rail-
roads $4,000, 900.
Real Estate-Of the 31,3o3,941 acres
returned for taxation there were L.
463,484 acres reported as Improved"
This does not include town and city
lots, and is really below the actua.
acreage of improved lands, but 1t gives
the acres reported Improved" by tax
assessors. AS to valuations, the as
sessed value of lands outside of towns
and cities is S79,000,0 900 in round num-
Der, and the assessed value of town
and city lots is s6o.0o0,oo0.
Personal Property, Horses and Mules
The figures as to horses and mules,
cattle. sheep and goats, and hogs are
given separately and make interesting
comparisons. There were 1882 horses
and mules reported for taxation in the
state and of this number Jackson
county acknowledges to 6,74S AMI leads
the list of counties Monroe with 14s
head reports the, smallest number. but
Duval county, ips which ;s. the city Of
ia Jacksonville, reports only 161 head of
horses and mules.
Cattle-4s0,6s5 cattle are reported
for taxation and DeSoto takes the lead
in cattle with 56,611, and again Mon
roe county reports the least number
with "a head. Monroe does not have
many cattle AMI horses.
Sheep and Goats-Sheep and goats
thrive in Walton county, as that coun-
ty reports 1851 out of total of 81
AS. Several counties appear to have
none at all while Dade and st. Lucie
report two each. Probably some little
boy in each county has pair of goats
that got on the tax books.
Hogs-Truly Jackson county is the
stock county. She leads the list of
counties in swine reported for taxation
having on the books 26,241 out of a
total of PASTA Monroe county admits
to no hogs, while Dade acknowledges
only 20 head. They are rather lonely
in Palm Beach also, that county re-
porting but as. AIachua, Columbia,
Marion AMI Walton counties ach re-
port more than 10000 head of hogs.
Personal Property VaIuations-The
first five counties in rank in this par
ticular with the figures OF each are:
DuVaI SO, 5S4 $50
Hfllsborough ...s............ 2,sl4,950
Escambia ..-......:se-...... 2,S56,69O
Polk COMMUNICATION. 2,lTs,6lO
Aiachua .................. 1,246, 1897
Real Estate Rank-Seven counties
report real estate valuations of over
s5.00o,0o0. Their relative rank is as
follows:
Duval 1882, $40
H1lIsoorough .............-. 1l,l42.23O
Escamoia ..........--...-.. S,l44,S5o
Dade 6,323,S20
Palm Beach .............-. 6,OO2,4JO
FOLK .........-........ 5,5ol,99O
Volusia 5,021, 060
Railroad Property-Those counties
having the greater railroad properties
located within their borders and the
relative rank in valuations are as fol-
lows: Duvai. Hillsboruogh, Polk, Ma
rion. Escambia, Nassau, Orange and
Volusia. Each OF these counties have
railroad property with proportionate
rolling stock valued for tax purposes
a: over one million dollars.
No Pullman Cars in These Counties
There are Cor were in 1870 IS sleep
ers. II buffet sleepers. and 10 buffet
parlor cars being operated in Florida
but no Pullman cars run through CAL
hcun, Citrus, Franklin, Hamilton, La
fayette, Levy. Liberty, Taylor or Wa
kulla counties.
Railway and Telegraph Mileage
There were 4,475 miles of main track
and 797 miles OF side and switch acks
reported and assessed for taxation, in
GLIDING terminals, etc, at over S33.00O,-
900 dollars.
There were 1870 miles of telegraph
wire and 233, $50 feet OF cable.
There were some IS or more different
railroads assessed in the state last
year. The largest three with amount
of taxes each viii pay is as follows:
Atlantic Coast Line 1906, 667.32
Seaboard Air Line - 725,654.63
Florida East Coast ....... III, 0s6.51
Special Road Taxation-A number of
counties in the state levy special road
district taxes. The four leading coun-
ties In this respect are Alachua, Bre-
ward. Citrus and Walton. Other coun-
ties do extensive road work but they
do not use the special road district tax
system
Drainage Tax-The drainage tax
district is iucorporated within the