The Sun. [volume] (Price, Utah) 1915-1932, 1919-06-20
ASSESSMENTS MAY Be
RAISED BY STATE
BOARD
REVENUES NECESSARY MUST
COME FROM COAL MINES.
New System Of Valuations Based On
Government Prices Being Worked
Out BY Officials 70 Make Good the
Shortage From Live Stock and
other Glasses Of Property In Utah

What -. the value ul % tom pi coal
m the ground This question put up
20 the state board of equalization by
he laws PASSED lt The last Legislature
affecting the taxation ui mines has
been answered ht the board for this
wear The answer i- only tentative,
and ns he board investigates oil the
different angle, of the question it
leans more and more ip the opinion
that % will take probably iw" years TO
find the answer For the present
year the board has decided tu take
the actual government geological sur.
vey figures on the values uf coal IN
place IN Utah. wherever those figures
are available. ns basis. Variations
are being made somewhat frpm those
figures. hut nu matter what the result
the coal companies are given In sindcr.
stand that the action Of the board this
year b. not Ia bc taken ~ a precedent
" what will happen when the board
has investigated the subject morc
fully. ln the main developed coal
fields 1T Utah. that of Carbon county
and extending for some distance into
Ehcry and whrrr railroad connections
are reasonably close, the board IN ne.
cepting the government figures for
the coal within the first twp miles
from the ouicruppiug The govern
ment figures arr based un the est
mated tonnage underlying the areas
IN question. That b. H. say the CIV
urnmrnt estimates coal go one or
more cents per ton, m place. accord
ing ~ the ouicrupping ~ within rusy
reach Of % railroad line or father
away
Third Mile Back. Etc.
For the third mule back the state
board of equalization il taking ~ ~
basis for valuation M per cent of the
normal value of ton 1T coal near the
outerUp II would cost something 10
tunnel under the ground morc than
two miles. For the fourth mile the
state board estimates the coal as
worth ~ per cent nf normal. For the
fifth mile the board fixes rate uf
ten dollars an acre for the coal con
tanned, and five dollars for grazing
rights on the surface. For the sixth
mile the coal ~ estimated a. be- worth
five dollars an acre aud the grazing
privileges an equal amount Beyond
the sixth mile any value the land has
~ Tor grazing purposes, and u is va
assessed. Ia other words, while the
board deems u commercially feasible
for Utah cual lu be- brought siN miles
along the gentle inrlincs prevailing IN
Utah coal minrs. tn the surface at the
face of cliff, n considers this ronl
~ of more ur less speculative value
after the fourth mile. A n matter of
fact, thcrr b. probably not coal mine
m Utah TINT b. hauling coal more than
three mules in the surface.
The board has adopted the policy
Tor the present wear ut giving utmost
consideration tu the company n claims
uf hrnk,-l ground, of faults aud uf
burned uul arras. For coal lands M
Emery county that arr still IN the
huge Carbon field. bat are many miles
from a railroad. the board has made
allowances for distances For cX-
ample, ni Ferrnn, where there IN some
excellent coal land, privately owned,
good coal m thick veins hut siNtN-tiye
from u milrnad, the board has fixed
its assessment valuation for the pres
rnt year az go per cent of the gov
eminent price, The government vnlu
cd some ut the coal there az three hun
dred dollar an acre IA place The
state will rrquirr that taxes boz paid
Tor 1919 20 iva hundred apllHrs un
acre,
Development Of Areas,
Development Of this coal area, DO
% ever rumcs is still quite a distance
off, in the opinion ul those fairly
familiar with the situation. For
other coal areas in Emery county the
board D. fixing percentage graded
mp frum 6l per cent to luO per cent,
according Gao the proximity tu q rail.
road Ina other Utah coal iilcds the
board has been governed largely hy
local conditions. The Wale- ucld. u
Nanpele county Tor example, carries
q coal ln q comparatively thin ypIu
and u Is not ot nrst quality The
mines have not been operated ut 3ry
great profit, notwithstanding that
this field rs probably lhc Iret tu ur
worked IN Utah The state will value
the coal lands Tor assessment uuf
poses m 1919 at ten dollar, Hu acre.
la the Grass Creek field, around
CoalNllle, the coul land urra- ulIl br .
valued az utty dollars au acre. u
the lmiuh Basin country. whore the
distance tu "a railroad means chat coal
may be- mined only for Iuca. u,c. the
assessed valuation ,s fN..r dollars uu
acre uu coal laud, Iu-I what tl-
viii amount 20 100 i0.tr .a. mot Sc.
been worked uut hy OH. board ul
equalization IbU CLERKS r NOW -r-
ing over 10 cards already prepared
describing lhD holdings 20. each rum
pduy and private owner and fixing
thc assessment 100 accordance with
the basis just adopted finally by the
state board,
A..