The log cabin Democrat. [volume] (Conway, Ark.) 1908-current, 1913-05-27
TO ASSESS ON 50
PER CENT BASIS
ASSESSOR JONES' POLICY
PROPERTY IN FAULKNER WILL.
BE PUT DOWN AT EXACTLY
HALF VALUE. HE SAYS.

VIII De assessed Tor taxation at exactly
one-half its actual value, or as nearly
that percentage as can be determined.
according to Tax Assessor w. N.
Jones, who will begin his rounds of the
county at Wooster next Monday As
SCISSOR Jones is strengthened in this de-
termination by letter from Tax Com
missioner F. E. Brown, who states
that much of the property in Faux
ner county is assessed below 80 per
cent of its real value, and urges the
assessor to bring it all up to that fig
ure. Commissioner Brown also says
that while livestock values have been
up to the standard, it appears that
large amount is not assessed at all
His letter to Assessor Jones is in full
as follows:
Little Rock, Ark, May %, 1913.
Mr. w N. Jones, Tax Assessor. Con-
way, Ark:
My Dear Sir and Friend-R Replying
to yours of the 10Th inst. will say
that while the law in terms, provides
for an assessment of all property at
It's actual value, yet by common con-
sent and in view of the decision Of the
supreme court it is being attempted to
get AN assessment on u 50 per cent
basis
We are sending you a general letter
to all assessors in which a 50 per cent
assessment is recommended. Now
with regard to the assessment of your
county, the livestock assessments so
far as values are concerned are about
on an average with the state, the state
being horses, $45; mules, $50, and cat
tie $S.12. The averages for Faux
ner county for 1912 are horses, SAT,
mules SO, and cattle $1126. | would
judge, however, by comparing the CEN
sus returns of 1910 with the assess
ment for that year, that there is quite
number of livestock not being assess
ed at all in Faulkner county. From
the census report of 1910 there were
on farms in Faulkner county: Horses,
a, jig; mules, 1885; CATTLE 5,713 As
sessed all told in the county by the
assessor: Horses, Bias. mules, g.
444; cattle, 10,174
You will see from the above there
were 728 more horses, 81 more mules
and $3.50 more cattle on farms than
were assessed in the county | note,
however there were assessed last year
more horses and mules than in 1910,
but fewer cattle, the number Of cattle
assessed being 1924
Now, as to the real estate of Faulk-
ner county, it is unquestionably as
sessed very muah below 80 per cent of
its actual value, according TO the cen
sus report of 1910 Seventy two per-
cent? 99.614 acres in Faulkner coun-
ty was in farms (by farm is meant
all lands held for farm purposes. for
instance, where one has 1G0-acre
tract with a house and five or 10 acres
in cultivation, the whole tract is count
ed as a farm valued at $11.17 per
acre, aggregating $3,346,083. Fifty
per cent of this value is 81 ,673,041 the
total assessment of all, acreage lands
both farms and wild land in Faulkner
county for 1912. was 81 1874 SOB. Sub
tracing 299,61 acres in farms from
417,456 acres-total assessed in the
county, gives 117,S42 acres of wild
lands taxed, worth say, SO per acre,
making 1888, 526, 80 per cent Of which
Use S176,763. Subtracting the 81 ,334, :
503-total acreage lands assessed
from $1,673,041, so per cent of the
farm values, gives 1888, 53S; add to
this the $176,763 wild land value,
makes S515, 300, the acreage land APP
pears to be assessed below so per cent
of their value for 1912.
Town and city lots were assessed in
1912 at 5000, 900 approximately. If
this species of property was assessed
at no greater per cent of It's value
than the acreage lands, the real es-
tate of Faulkner county is assessed
something like S650,000 to S75O,OOC
below so per cent of it's value.
1t would appear also that the assess
ment of moneys, credits, manufactured
articles and merchandise in Faulkner
county is assessed at very low fig
ure. the assessment being as follows
Merchandise S131 $50: manufactured