The record. [volume] (St. Maries, Idaho) 1913-1918, 1915-08-13
State Valuation
Higher This Year


panies and other utilities COM
panies are making a hard fight
before the state board of equali-
cation to have their valuations
lowered from what they were a
year ago. Every utilities COM
pany doing business in the state
has one or more representatives
at Boise and they are all experts
in their line and are thoroughly |
prepared with figures to make the |
best possible showing for their |
side of the case.
The state is at a disadvantage
i'm the controversy as in the alb
scnce of tax commission it has
no one who has given the subject
the necessary study to be able to
present its side in a satisfactory
manner or to controvert the
statements of the utilities COM
panies. From the reports re-
ceived Governor Alexander APP
pears to be the only member OF
the board who has gone into the
matter thoroughly and who is at
all prepared to controvert the as
sertions made by these repre-
sentatives. Up to the time our
report was received the two prin-
cipal companies that had appear
ed before the board were the
Oregon short Line railroad and
the Mountain States Telephone
! and Telegraph company.
Tax Agent Evans of the Ore
! gon short Line Railroad company
read a brief to the board in which
an argument was made for a fair
/, and reasonable assessment of the
ccmpany's property. In this he
J showed the Short Line is operat-
ing in 27 of the 81 counties in the
state and that annually, or last
year, it paid out s5,747477 in
Idaho: that it has on its payroll
5277 people, which represents
= they support 100000 people; that
the company's property repre-
sents One-eighth of the assessed
valuation of the entire state.
Mr.. Evans claimed that the OPP
Grating revenues of the Oregon
Short Line Railroad company was
$500, 600 less last year than the
preceding year. He asserted
that while the company paid 40
per cent dividends the money was
not taken out of the operating
revenue but was paid from re-
p sources from other sources. Gov
ernor Alexander wanted to know
if the company's operating rev.
enue was million and half
: dollars less last year than the
, preceding year, where the money
came from to pay for the inn
provements on the system in this
a state. such as extensions, double
/ tracking. depOts, etc" An inter
{ esting wordy controversy was
waged over this point. Tt was
apparent an effort was trying tC
d be made TO ascertain if the ST.
t 500. 600 loss in the operating rev.
2 enue was accountable to the i'm.
Il provements made on the system
n Mr.. Evans said that the none,
g 60 pay for these Improvement
e came from a thousand differcn
a sources of income of the compan,
9 The Short Line valuation wa.
= still the subject for discussion
e when the recess was taken.
a The case of the Mountain
Il states Telephone & Telegraph
company was placed before tn
VI board by its representative, MI
81 Hamer. He laid before the boar
facts and figures to show that il
many instances the company wa
losing money in this state an
yet il was required to install mex
|c equipment and give better ser
- vice at heavy expense. Mr.. Ham
er did not deny but that the ser
o wee should be ih'prrvtd in thos
n sections where it is in the field o
n that improvements should not b
made. In fact, he cOntende
h that it is up to a public utility {
IA see that both are made. Wha
# he commended was that the cor
+ poration be allowed to live and l.
ne live and that the assessments g
T. its property be made within rea
10 son.
In denial to differences that h
4, was prejudiced towards the com
" pany Governor Alexander made