Grand Forks herald. [volume] (Grand Forks, N.D.) 1916-1955, 1918-12-05
PROTESTS ARE
HEARD IN TAX
RATE HEARING
c. ]. Murphy Questions Val
ue of M. F. Murphy's
Testimony.

The last witness for the state in
the railroad tax hearing this morn
ing was M. F. Murphy of this city,
who gave testimony as to the value OF
lands In the northern half Of the
state, including Trail and Steele
counties.
In testifying to the value of land
for this part of the state Mr.. Murphy
based his opinion on loans to the
through the Union Life Insurance
company and his personal owner.
ship of $4,000 acres of land in this
section. When he testified that lano
was assessed to fully rs per cent of
its value, the storm broke and Attor-
ney c. J. Murphy for the railroads
protested. that the opinion Of the
witness was biased and unfair.
With Murphy against Murphy, a
lively cross examination followed
which threatened to overwhelm the
ingenuity Of the court reporter, M
f. Murphy held that his testimony
upon actual transactions that had
come within his own experience. He
remained on the stand during the
entire morning, and during the aft
ernoon. Very little of actual i'm
portance relative to the progress o1
the lawsuit itself developed. Mr.
Murphy has heretofore given his
testimony in regard to actual land
valuations, and appeared today to re-
iterate his opinion as to the assessed
value of land in the state.
In the opinion of F. E. Packard,
tax commissioner, NJ. F. Murphy is
state on land values in this district
In land business here for nearly forty
years, he is in a position to be per-
fectly familiar with the land situa-
ton in this vicinity, MI. Packard
said.
h hearing will close today in this
city. and Mr.. Packard will leave to-
night for Devils Lake where he will
continue to secure evidence. It is
probable that at a later time anothe,
session will be held here to COM
plete the evidence for this county.
Averages Given.
The following is a list Of the testi-
fed average values, by counties, per
acre. without improvements, testified
to by plaintiffs witnesses up to this
time, both here and at Fargo:
Richland County-John ]. Movius
s45.Oo; F. A. Burton, $4,000.
Sargent County-David J.. Jones
s45.O0; r. L. Himebaugh, $4,000 to
$42.5O.
Dickey county-G. E. Lane. ss2.so;
D: E. Greer, $500 to $4,000; c. c.
Nisfeldt. $500.
LaMo9re county-c: S., Diesem
8. G. Temple, $500.
Ransom County-Walter L. Will
Hanson. $4,000; E. A. Jones. $4,000.
Cass County-John Martin, $45.0C
to $4,000; ]. P. Martin, $42.5O; B. v
Moore. $47.5O to $4,000; Geo. H. Holl.
lister. $4,000; e. G. Opfer. $4,000 tc
$51;oo; Morton Page. $4,000 to $500;
addison Leech, $500; Treadwel
Barnes Committeeman Winterer
$4,000; Lee Combs, $4,000.
Stutsman County-Frank A. LEM
$27.25; Andrew Blewett, $4,000.
Kidder County,. c. McWhinney
s22;oo; John Robinson, $4,000.
Foster County,. s. Doyle, $500
Trail County-E. Y. sarles, s54.30
$45.00.
$500; T. G. Thompson. s34 to s35
Wells County,. F. Volkman, $35
Grand Forks County-John Fadden
s44.5O; w. J.. Forbes, $4,000 to s47.OO;
G. S. Dow, $45.65; J. D. Bacon, $43.22;
+: l.. Goodman. $4o.3S; J. w. Scott
$4,000; M. M. O'Connor. $4,000.
Nelson County-Frank Goldammer
$1,000.
Walsh county-c. D. Lord, s42.54;
Gunder Olson. $4,000; J. J.. o'Brien
$44.30.
Pembina county-c. R. Green
$3.50; J. j. O'Brien, $500 to $4,000
Cavalier County-H. D.. ALERT
$4,000; c: B. Mcmillan, 1886; ]. B