The Mena weekly star., 1913-09-04
EOUALZERS ARE
 GIVEN NOREPOWER
Boards May Remain in Session as uuch as Two Months-TaX Com mission Asks Full 50 Per
 Cent Assessment.

TiltIp ROCK, AuS' -o' hNi "iii ho radical departure Tn the work of the boards of equalization this ,.oor from that of preceding years. ,rbo old law gave the boards about n,roo weeks to equalize the property ofo county. Under the new law the Il Iaords will meet Monday, Septem- po por and if they find it necessary p,av remain in session until the Fnnrfh Wednesday in October, a noriod of nearly two months.
 The Arkansas tax commission has dirarled an important letter to the boards of equalization, calling at tonlion fo the necessity of assessing nronertv at a full 50 per cent Of its value.
 Boards Are Important.
 The board of equalization IS the rost important official body in the nonntv." declares the commission. .Tbe law imposes upon the assessor 4be dutv of assessing both real and narsonal property. AS a rule, how Aver inc assessor has fallen into inc practice of dumping on the hoard of equalization the work of assessing both real and personal nronerty. He simply copies the as sessment of each tract as made the nreyious year, no matter II the same is less than 20 per cent or the value of the property. With respect to inc assessment of personal prop rrty the situation is but little better. ordinarily the assessor assumes fhat he is compelled to accept the Hst of the taxpayer, and that a per sonal return can be raised by the hoard of equalization only"
 Would Reach $500, 100000.
 The commission urges a complete assessment at 90 per cent and adds:
 If all the property of the state is assessed on a basis of 90 per cent or it's full value, the total assess monl of the state will go beyond sG00O00.O00. more than Sl70,00O,OOO 3hoya what it was in 1912"
 Heal EState ASSeSSHlcllt.
 Tine commission gives the follow ing instructions regarding the as Sp,,ment of real estate;
 Leaving out the property as ,r,,rd by the state tax commission real estate constitutes about two .hird, the property of the state. ynder lhe practice whereby the as ,cssing of real property Is shifted .o the board of equalization, those boards do at least two-thirds of the real work of assessing the property of the state. It is useless to say that inc law does not contemplate any such arrangement. It IS enough that the conditions as above indl- catcd exist.
 The controlling mandate of the organic law of the state with refer rnce to taxation is uniformity in the assessments. If As property is assessed at 9 per cent, B's at 90, C'S at 75 and D's at 100 per cent of it's true value, an undemocratic condition exists. That such a con- dition exists in many counties; that there are many fragrant and intol- erable inequalities, an examination of the tax books of almost any county will disclose. As matters now stand, the board of equaliza- ton is the only agency that can correct this condition.
 "The tax commission has assessed the property of all public utilities, including railroads, telegraphs, tele- phones, pipe lines, express lines, sleeping ears, street railways, wat erWorks, electric light and power pIaniS-about 20 per cent of the property of the state. These prop critics the commission has assessed at as nearly 50 per cent of their true value as could be determined. lt is most earnestly urged that each board of equalization fix the assess menls coming within its jurisdic- ton on the same basis-50 per cent Of the true value of the property.
 Should Consider Many Factors.
 Tn assessing real estate each fac tor giving value should be consid- cred. In assessing farm property the character of the land, the im- proNements, its location with refer ence to the market, should be con- Sldered. In assessing timber land the amount and character of timber on each tract, and if there are min erals on the land the value of the same should be considered. Each tract should be assessed according to Its value and not at a flat rate Wlth reference to a class in which u may belong. One S0-acre farm may be worth S4,000, another lying Dy the side of it may not be worth more than 5000. Tn that case the one should be assessed at S2,000, the olher at Sl,000. One quarter sec uoh of timber land may be worth eaooO and another lying by the side oi II may be worth S6O00. The one should be assessed at 5000, the o.Ier at 5000 A flat assessment oI S2'oo0 on each tract would he uu'alr and unjust. and not such an assessment as the law contemplates.
 Assessment of Credits.
 credits, including accounts and naHA deposits within and without 'ue state, need special attention. No t,dsS ,@ oI property escapes taxation to Ihe same extent as do credits. It ,s tue exception and not the rule for VWhefS Of credits to list them for oaAd'ion. In determining the