Evening capital news. (Boise, Idaho) 1901-1927, 1914-08-22
LUMBER men OF
NORTH PROTEST
TO STATE BOARD
Defend Report of the State
Tax Commission in Rec
ommending Reduction in
the Assessments.


ties, especially those of Clearwater,
Latah and Kootenai, w. d. Humiston
speaking in behalf of the Potlatch Lum-
Der company in particular and lumber
companies in general, presented the
side of the timber corporations before
the state board of equalization yester-
day afternoon. He defended the re-
Communications of the state tax COM
mission for a reduction of S2,52S,207
in the timber assessment for Clear
water county and $423,914 in the Latah
county timber assessment. Mr.. Humis-
ton followed the pres entation OF the
Clearwater county protest against the
recommendation of the commission by
Attorney D. e. Hodge OF Lewiston and
Blair Hoar, one of the county OFF,
Gals, and the presentation of the Latah
county case by A. Fl. Oversmith and
Assessor T. E Martinson Commission
err Esgate appeared on behalf of Koote-
mai county.
Allege Lumber Companies Hard Hit.
1t was pointed out to the board that
it was generally admitted and known
to be positive fact to lumbermen that
the past few years have been rocky
ones for the lumber industry and the
Idaho lumber companies have receiv-
ed the full force and effect of the crimp
in business conditions, by Mr.. Humis-
ton. He declared that in practically
every instance unjust discrimination
had been shown against the lumber
companies by the officials of the coun-
ties particularly Latah in the assess
ment of privately owned and corpora
ton owned timber in that the lumber
companies had always been soaked"
He also charged that the privately
owned timber had been shown favorit-
ism by the fact that a greater portion
of the privately owned timber land had
been given the benefit of a grazing land
instead of a timber land classification
while the corporation owned timber
has all been assessed in the timber
classification.
In support of this charge Mr.. Humis-
ten alleged that 1852 acres of graz
ing land had been added to that clas-
sihcation this year over last year in
Latah county. He accounted for the
greater portion of this increase as due
TO the Reconsideration. This allega-
tion the county officials promptly de-
MED, claiming they had not discrimin
ated against the timber companies
Charts Introduced.
A chart in fact many charts were In
troduced as evidence to support Mr..
Humiston's argument. One of these
showed a comparison of timber land
assessments by counties this year. The
following figures We're given on the
chart. Elmore, SS.46; Boise s922; Nez
Perez, SO; Shoshone, 5000; Bonner,
1888 Lewis, $1s.S1; Adams, 1855;
oil hn of
timber per acre In Eatah county was
given as 1887 white pine, 2219 yellow
pine and 5579 all other timber while
the records of the Potlatch Lumber
company show an average of 1900 per
acre
In explanation of the charge that the
Potlatch Lumber company had refused
to turn over its cruise books and rec
ords on timber to the Latah county off,
Gals when a request was made for
them, MIR. Hamilton declared that the
county officials also refused to give the
company any of the information 1t had
secured and the company did not be-
lieve that II should be required to sup
ply the county with It's records merely
for the county to take advantage of
them.
The county officials and their at
torney claimed that Humiston offered
to submit the companys cruise books
to the county if the county board of
equalization would agree to assess
white pine at 50 thousand, yellow
pine at 81 a thousand. mixed timber at
90 cents and the land at from 80 cents
to 81 per acre, which they fatty refused
to agree to- They claimed the land
should be assessed at not less than
$500 per acre for agricultural and
grazing purposes. The land sells, ii
was claimed, for from $40 to $40 per
acre.
A. TT. Oversmith pointed out to the
board during his argument against the
tax commissions recommendation that
the smaller lumber mills in the north
were able to do business at a profit and
cited numerous instances claiming that
IL this was true the argument of the
larger timber or lumber companies
that they could not do so was ground
less. He told the board of how the
county officials arrived at the valua-
tons OF timber for I.atah county and
declared they had exercised the great
est care so as to be fair to the corpora
tons. He made strong plea on be-
half of the county.
Hawley Quoted.
Mr.. Humiston said that the sale of
the Swamp creek and other timber
lands included in that body by the
state to the Potlatch Lumber company
at SO an acre was no criterion to judge
the value of timber lands because there
the company was up against a peculiar
condition in itself in that the timbe.
was hard to get out and as the com
pany's lease was nearing the period OF
expiration the company thought 1t best
to buy the land to protect itself. He
read many extracts from Ex-Governor
Hawleys report on the sale, showing
the former governor had approved OF
1t and repeatedly said in that report
that the lands were useless for agri-
cultural purposes.