Durant weekly news. (Durant, Choctaw Nation, Indian Territory [Okla.]) 190?-1944, 1918-01-11
DUTIES OF OKLAHOMA ASSES.
SORS EXPLAINED
Attorney General Gives Opinions
Constituting Laws at Meeting
In Oklahoma City.

Opinions Of Attorney General Free
ling. given the members Of the Okla
hOma County ASSESSORS As ISOLATION,
by which they will be guided in as
sessing property this year were an
interesting part of the session of the
organization at Oklahoma City. In
cluded were numerous questions pro-
pounded by members, which showed
In some instances how they had done
the work. the answers to which prob
ably cleared away some Confu ion
that had surrounded them before.
While this was the first meeting OF
its kind. 1t was apparent that 1t had
paid the Assessors many times over
In real workable information they re-
ceived. They expressed themselves
that way.
"A question OF Importance to the
Assessors. answered in the affirma-
tive by the Attorney General. related
to the gross production tax. On Jan.
Is. 1915. oil and gas producing com
panies were supposed to make rendi-
ton or property in thirty days, sub
ject to penalty Of double the assess.
ment. Where the property was re-
turned according to statute and ex-
tended on the asses ment roll to any
county in the time specified by the
law. Assessors asked If they would
he entitled to compensation for as
sessing the property, notwithstand-
Ing the gross production tax was not
applied until March of that year. The
Attorney General answered In the af
firmative.
Considerable confusion had arisen
over public building bonds and bank
guaranty fund warrants. The Attor-
ney General directed that public
building bonds only are exempt from
taxation and that guaranty fund war
rants. while exempt from taxation I'm
the nands or the owner, any part of
the capital Of any bank invested in
the warrants is not exempt from tax
alton. while the contrary is the case
when bank invests in public build
ing bonds.
Land and improvements must be
assessed together. the Attorney Gen
cral held.
person holding property in two
different townships should be sub
lect to one penalty where he failed
list his property according to law.
some discussion arose over the prop.
ltion OF the collection OF 81 pen
.ty for failure to list property. Fol
owing the letter of the law, the
opinion was given that this penalty
ould be paid only to the Deputy AS
@ sor. In this the Assessors said
okingly that they would try to have
he law changed.
Relative to taxes on restricted In
ian lands. the Attorney General
ave concrete example. If re
rictcd Indian lives in A County and
las an allotment in c County, and
his allotment. by virtue of Depart
nental lease. is used for oil. the pro
"eds of the lease reinvcstcd in other
real estate in \ County, said real es-
ate having been on the tax roll since
statehood and been taxable, its in
estment is made by virtue of the
Departmental lease. vesting title in
he restricted Indian. The Attorney
icncral held that such property Is
subject to taxation and should he list
ii. This is of considerable import
ance to the East side of the State.
where there is much property owned
by Indians.
National banks are not entitled to
deduct from their capital stock in
any amount any realty mortgage
they may own because of the fact
that they have paid the mortgarr tax