The Farmington times. (Farmington, St. Francois County, Mo.) 1905-1926, 1918-03-15

conclusion that the Assessors re-
turns will stand in regard to that
mining property--if not given another
boost into the neighborhood where it
actually belongs. After the complain
ants attorneys were told that the wit
nesses were to be paid by the parties
summoning them, it was discovered
that they had some twelve or fifteen
farmers, summoned as witnesses
from different parts of the county, to
prove comparative values" All
these Immediately presented them
selves to claim their pay voucher for
attendance, mileage, ETC., and c. B.
Denman, who had been in the COM
pany's employ for some time past
ransacking the county and trying to
find some evidence that would enable
these great mining companies to con-
tinue to defraud the county out of
just taxes, also acted as paymaster.
We trust Mr.. Denman also received
good pay for his services as "tax ex-
pert, for if his property is now as
sessed at what he has claimed it is
actually worth, it will require "some
funds" to liquidate his taxes.
The complaint of the Federal Lead
Co. was the next and last case to
come before the Commission for hear
ing. H. A. Guess, who had come from
New York to attend the hearing, took
the stand and went into detail as to
tie holdings of that company in St.
Francois county. Mr.. Guess is not on
ly an expert mining man, but he is al
so President and general manager of
the Federal Lead Co. properties in
this locality. Formerly, for several
years. he was also resident manager
of such properties in this field. Ac-
cording to his statements, the entire
holdings of that company in this coun-
ty are worth only about $4,000, 900
while the Assessors valuation is for
| more than twice that amount. But
according to his figures, which were
that his company netted $1,800,00C
last year, it would seem that the AS
SCISSORS returns were none too high
Just what the Commissioners will
think in regard to the matter remains
to be seen.
This closed the hearing, and the
Tax Commissioners were hurried tc
Bismarck where they caught the 6:5(
Missouri Pacific passenger into st
Louis. Ehey were accompanied b!
Robert Holmes, the st. Louis capital
ist, who had voluntarily come to at
tend this hearing, even paying his owr
expenses, and was able to give the at
torneys for the Assessor many valu.
able suggestions. Many will want tc
know, who do not know the man, why
Mr.. Holmes did this. 1t was simply
an unselfish interest on his part to see
that St. Francois county was giver
more justice than she had ever before
received from those great mining
companies. And such action was pur.
sued by Mr.. Holmes Notwithstanding
the fact that the Holmes family are
large holders of stock in the st. Joe.
Doe Run Lead Cos. His contention is
that the lead companies should not at
tempt to evade a fair tax rate, ant
that st. Francois county is in need o1
all the money that is justly coming tC
her, He has been true friend no
only to this county, but also of th'
miners and other laborers in thu
Lead Belt.
But this story could not be com
plete if we failed to mention tn,
splendid work that has been performed
by Assessor Wells, not only in max
ing the increased assessments agains