Montpelier examiner. [volume] (Montpelier, Idaho) 1895-1937, 1919-08-29
STATE BOARD DECLINES
TO LOWER VALUATIONS

hailroads, telephone and telegraph
companies and the power companies
'lilol 20 get relief in the form OF a
reduced valuation ON properties in
Idaho which they asked for from
the state board OF equalization. says
the Boise Statesman.
Last Saturday the board fixed val
uations on the railroads and finish
ed its task OF determining values OF
properties owned by other public util-
tiles.
The $500. 900 assessment return
ed In 1915 against the properties OF
tho Idaho Power Co. were allowed
TO stand. and with but few minor
changes valuations which were chalk
cd up a year ago against tho rail-
roads were accepted by tho board.
Where changes were made In tn,
assessments levied on tho telephone
companies the trend was upward and
not downward, and both the Western
Union Telegraph company and the
Postal Telegraph company were as.
sessed higher this year than they
wore last.
Farm lands. business lots In tho
towns and citics. tho lumber com.
panies. and three or four corpora.
tons Will be taxed higher. since val
uations returned against them arc
higher. while the railroads and 9th
VI public utilities will pay ON approx
mately the same valuation as year
ago.
With hardly an exception all OF
tho public utilities asked for reduc-
lions In valuations. claiming they
we're paying n greater proportion of
the taxes than were the farmers. The
board members have. without cx-
ception. agreed that tho tax agents
who appeared before them In the In
forests OF the corporations have been
justified in their complaints. but
hey choose without exception to
raise the valuation ON improved farm
lands rather than To lower tho asseaa-
ments returned against tho public
utilities
Valuations OH the Boise Valley
fractions company'a lines In Boise
were reduced from $1,000 mile to
$4,000, On tho Boise street car com
pany'S lines form $1,000 to $500. In
making the reductions the board
members agreed that both the local
companies needed relief. The gov
ernor said II would be only n matter
OF time until the street cara were
forced to give way 70 huases.
or tho four large continental rau-
road lines which cross tho state the
Milwaukee alone got a reduction and
was small one. Valuations on
he main line were reduced from
sb7 900 to $4,000 u mile on ss
miles--a cut OF $4,000. -
Valuations on branch lines fiuc.
tuated, but small decreases we're bal.
need by increases. The Boise branch
r the Oregon Short Line, which has
heretofore been aAsessed at $40. 900
was assessed Saturday at t45. 900. A
like increase was made on tho Twin
Falls branch and tho second track
between McCammon and Pocateilo
was assessed at $40 900 n mile Just
double last years assessment.
The assessment OF tho Continental
! Telegraph company. q Subsidiary oI
mo Milwaukee railroad was reduced
! from 500 TO $50 IA wire lie. while
The Western Unions assessment was
increased from 400 20 t11g a wire
mile. The POstal's assessment was
increased from $50 to 400 Il wire
mile
Contrary TO expectations no effort
was made by any OF the board mem.
bcrs 70 get Il reduction In valuations
on the properties OF the Idaho Pow.
or company. Last years valuations
were accepted without n word OF pro
test when II was moved that the 1915
assessment OF $1,000 900 be allowed
F., - stand.
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Tho oldor man is the weaker h.