White Pine news weekly mining review. [volume] (East Ely, Nev.) 1910-1920, 1915-10-10
ASSESSOR CLARK
TALKS ON TAXES
LOCAL OFFICIAL AT MEETING
WITH STATE BOARD SUCCEEDS
IN HOLDING DOWN WHITE
PINE COUNTY ASSESSMENT.

the state capital attending the meet
ing of he State Board of Equalization
which is composed of the county as
SCISSORS of the different counties in
this state. Assessor F. NJ. Clark has
returned from Carson City, bringing
with him a vast amount of data whicn
will prove OF great value in the As
SCISSORS office of this county and Is
of much interest to our tax payers
Mr.. Clark invites all tax payers to
call at his office and examine the da-
ia, from which it will be readily seen
that valuations in White Pine coun-
ty are lower than any other county in
the state on the same class of prop
erty. When interviewed by a repre-
sentative of the News Mr.. Clark said:
1.-The first two weeks or more of
the meeting were devoted to the seq
regation and classification of all the
property of the state. When this was
compiled and tabulated comparison
was made regarding the assessed val
uation of the same classes of property
in the different counties of the state
This comparison showed that White
Pine county had the lowest assessed
valuation of any county in the state
Our average assessed valuation on
land is s2.69 per acre. The board
was at first determined not TO stand
that il be raised TO the same figure
as that of Nye county. This would
make vast difference to the tax
payers of White Pine-a total of
s477.251 as against $161.7s7." From
this first item Of interest IL will be
noted that Assessor Clark had a bat
tie on his hands to save the taxpayers
OF this county from being obliged to
pay taxes far In excess of the amount
at which he finally succeeded in get
ting fixed. Assessor Clark was deter
mined to fight the proposed raise to
the last ditch and finally succeeded
In reaching a compromise placing the
total valuation OF land in this county
at $139,53s for alfalfa. grain and
grazing land. This makes a saving
to our taxpayers OF $338,713 on the
total land valuation. In order to,
bring about this compromise the as
sessed valuation of alfalfa land In this
county was Increased from $40 per
acre to $25 per acre; grain land from
SIS to $25. and grazing land from
81 to S2.75 per acre.
The state board seemed bent onl
raising all town property in Ely. East
Ely and McGill sixteen and two-thirds
per cent over the assessed valuation
as shown by the tax roll. This would
have resulted In raising the valuation
on the property Of these towns In the
sum Of 100000, but after another
bitter struggle Assessor Clark sue
ceeded In holding down the assess
ment to the original figures.
wi ioit ouoWcu eVO uCou vi StocA
horses assessed at a total valuation
OF $16,100 or $40 per head. By
changing the classification to range
horses. Assessor Clark succeeded in
having them placed on the roll at $5
per head. thereby making a saving to
our taxpayers of $4,000 in valuation
BY a casual glance at the raises
made In town property throughout
the state the value of Assessor Ciark's
work will be readily seen The foll
lowing Is partial list of raises made
on town property and improvements
In other counties. Lyon county.
$163. .020 Humboldt county, S429,-
f05: Elko county. $447,S0S; Washoe
county. $2SS.S66: Douglass county
S247.6S2. In these counties agricul-
tural lands were also raised in pro-
portion
The increase in the assessment of
the Nevada Consolidated Copper COM
pany occupied the attention of the
board for considerable time ana TWO
days were spent in listening to pro-
tests made by representatives of the
company. Assessor Clark took de-
termined stand against this unjust
increase, pointing out the fact that
the local company had been raised
over previous years. and the assess
ment as fixed for this year seemed
as far as anybody could go within
reason. In this he was voted out
however, and when he offered to com
promise and fix the valuation at foul
million dollars flat he was agar