Montpelier examiner. [volume] (Montpelier, Idaho) 1895-1937, 1916-08-25
NEWS NOTES FROM
THE STATE CAPITAL

Boise, Aug. 21.-A somewhat
unique course has been taken by the
county attorney of Boise county to
secure for his county reduction of
the amount Of taxes required for
state purposes. On Saturday County
Attorney Rhodes of that county ask
ed for and secured from the Supreme
court an alternative writ, which is
returnabe on August 20, when the
state board Of equalization will have
an opportunity of showing why q
WRIT Of mandate should not issue
compelling the board to make a Sc
rious and radical departure from
previous methods of assessing the
property of the Oregon Short Line.
The application for the writ of man
date recites that ii has been the
practice Of the state board of equal
iZation in the past to assess the prop
erty of the railroad company, so that
the mileage definitely in each city,
town. school and road district and
county is credited to the particular
political subdivision in which 1t is
located. The petitioner claims that
this system is unjust and asks the
court for a permanent writ compell-
ing the state board of equalization to
first determine the total vale of all
the Oregon Short Line property with
in the state, together with the mile
age in each county and to then APP
portion this total valuation among
the various political units, according
to the railroad mileage within those
units.
In the petition it is pointed out
that in Boise county only a branch
line of the Oregon Short Line is
run and that this branch is assessed
at very low mileage rate, while
elsewhere the rate of assessed values
for the railroad is much greater.
Increase in Valuation Shown
When all the abstracts of tax rolls
had been received by the state board
of equalization, it was discovered
that the total assessed valuation of
real property in this state as report
ed by the county boards was greater
in 1916 than in 1915. The increase
was slight, being but $1,401,821.
Some of the figures as made up from
the county abstracts should prove in
teresting and instructive.
The 81 counties collectively report
2,501,412 acres of agricultural land
with an assessed valuation of STA
$50, $40; 1,618,1S6 acres of timber
land valued at $23,618,192; 894,-
$50 acres of cut over and burned tim
Der of the value of $5,00S,419; 49,
95S acres of mineral land valued at
$685. 2,485,429 acres of graz
ing land of the value of $15, $40, 493;
658,476 acres of waste land valued
at S1,097,304; 1,357,472 acres of
dry land and tract and acreage lands
valued at $1,856,418. improvements
on land outside of cities and towns
were given as of $12,914,726 value.
The total assessed value Of all prop
erty reported on is given as S302,-
043,SS7, as opposed to $300,642, 066.
The greatest single increase reported
was in the net profit on the Shoshone
county mines. In 1915 this item was
given as $6,843,753. This year the
net profit is given as S9,794,6 32.
Somewhat larger net profits are re-
ported from other mining districts of
the state.
The Primary Campaign Boiling
There is no lack of interest in the
nominating primary election which
will occur in two weeks. The demo-
Gratis, thanks to the hand picking
system in that party in regard to
it's candidates, only have to wait un-
til after the primaries to begin their
campaign. With the republicans,
however, all of the applicants for
nomination except Robert N. Bell for
state mine inspector, have fights on
their hands. AS a consequence all
of them are urging the voters to
their support Candidates for COVER
nor and congressman are all in the
field, save Congressman Smith and
McCraeken, who are held in Wash
tngton by the continued session of
congress. These two gentlemen, it is
now evident, will not be in the state
in advance of the primary election
on September 5th and If present in
dications are accurate will probably
only be able to give the month of
October to the campaign.
But the primary campaign has re-
solved itself into something more
than campaign for votes. The can
didates for governor are all advan-
cling constructive policies In connec-
ton with the state government. They
are commencing to point out the
weaknesses of the present governor
in his connection with the business
of the state.
Attention to Disastrous Veto
Attention has recently been called
to a disastrous veto by Governor
Alexander at the last legislative SEES
sion. Among the items OF appropria-
tion for the agricultural extension
department. was one of $4,000 for
the employment of an entomologist.
At the time for the passage of the
bill those vitality interested from a
scientific standpoint endeavored to
make the governor understand the
importance attached to the work. 1t
was urged that this investigator
r''"ht nv at once beginning work
prevent the spread OF alfalfa weevil
into Idaho from Utah. 1t was urged
on the governor that the $4,000 ex-
pended now might and probably
would result in saving the people of
the state the expenditure of perhaps
$4,000 in driving the weevil out,
besides the enormous loss almost GER
tain to occur from the spread of the
disease. Farmers in the alfalfa grow
ing regions of the state are now hav-
Ing their attention called to the re-
suit of his nycoIlapnxrBs aba.4 .t.G.