The daily star-mirror. (Moscow, Idaho) 1911-1939, 1919-03-21
'LATAH COUNTY FARMERS PAY
TAXES ON TEN MILLION DOLLARS

That the farmers of Latah coun-
ty own much more than half of the
taxable wealth of the county, and pay
about one-fourth of all the taxes, is
shown by the list of assessable prop
erty in the county, now being COM
piled by the county auditor for the
annual report which will be issued
next month. This shows that Latah
county had taxable property worth
$19,905,982 in 1918, and that the
farmers owned $10,722,522 of this
amount. With levy of 11.6 mills
for county and state purposes the
farmers will pay about $115,000 of
the total of about $467,000 to be rails
ed by taxation in the county. The
rate of 11.6 mills is for state and
county purposes and does not in
clude school or road district taxes.
Counting these the farmers of the
county will pay close to one-half of
the tax of the county, although they
escape the higher taxes of the towns,
villages and cities.
Farm lands lead all other items in
point of value, being placed at
| $8,275,318, to which is added grazing
lands, owned by farmers, $61O,956.
Improvements on lands are valued at
$637, ,463, making the grand total
value of farm lands and improve
ments in the county, $9,523, 1888.
Horses are the next item in point of
value, owned by the farmers, being
assessed at $582,972, with cattle, val
ued at $256, 6,461, next in point of value.
Farm implements are valued at $152,-
265; mules at $22,18O; sheep at
$14,057; hogs at $32,867; other farm
items listed total $109,415, making
the grand total $10,722,522, as against
$9,187 ,46O for all the other taxable
property in the county.
The other property includes rail-
roads, $$2,248,160; telegraph lines,
$6,664; telephone lines, $27,79O; cleo
trio lines, $237 ,295; private car COM
panies, $18,888; business and resi-
dence lots, $777,411; improvements
thereon, 81 ,284,2 timber land, $2,-
156,740; cut over and burned timber
lands, $323,022; standing timber
apart from the land, 1901 ,31O; MI
gratory livestock, owned outside the
county but pastured within its bor-
ders, $20,995; improvements on gov
ernment land and right of way, $24,-
lumber and saw logs, $759,816; saw
and planning mills, $391,50O; brick
plants S1O,5OO; furniture and fix
lures, $62 2,065; warehouses and ele-
vators, $2,100; merchandise, $515,-
546; libraries, tools and implements,
$176,005; household goods, $341 ,315;
bank stock, $199,193; miscellaneous,
$81 ,998.-Total, $9,183,46
This is an increase over the as
sessed valuation of all property in the
county the previous year, of $104,5 4,527.
Horses, sheep and hogs show slight
increase in value over the previous
year, hogs showing nearly SO per
cent increase, while horses have in
creased $104, 1928, or almost the total
increase of all the property in the
county Two items that will probably
cause comment are the flour and
grist mills, valued at only $13,600 and
elevators and warehouse of the entire
county valued at only $2,100. There
are a number of warehouses at Cen
>esee, Moscow, Viola, Kendrick, Troy
and Juliaetta, in addition to those on
the Washington, Idaho & Montana
railroad with the score or more of
grain warehouses, valued at an av-
erage of less than 500 each (the
total value of all elevators and ware
houses being placed at but $4,000
will be a big surprise to tax payers
of the county.
There are two settles" and five viii
lagos incorporated in Latah county,
with total taxable wealth of $3,O24,-
.224, of which Moscow has almost two
thirds. the taxable. property IN the
city of Moscow being $1,940,1 ,124, on
which a special levy of 20 mills is
levied, and raises $28,SO2 in taxes.
Genesee is the other "city' with tax
,able wealth of S273,309, and a city
levy of Is mills. The villages are
Kendrick, Juliaetta and Troy, each
with a Is mills levy; Deary, with a
levy of II mills and Bovill, with
levy of 20 mills
The population of Latah county is
estimated at between 10000 and 22,-
000 In 1910 it was 1888. Moscow,
the largest town in the county, had
3,670 in habitants in 1910 and the
population is now estimated at be-
tween 5000 and $500. Potlatch is
the second largest town in the coun-
ty but is not Incorporated, the entire
townsite and all the buildings being
owned by the Potlatch Lumber COM
pany which has never incorporated
the town and it has no city, village or
town government. Incidentally it
pays no village, town or city taxes.
In round numbers the assessable
wealth of the county is about $1,000
for every man, woman and child in
the county. AS property is assessed
at not to exceed one third of its cash
value, the wealth of the county will
probably average close to $4,000 per
capita. In the country districts the
per capita wealth would be much
greater and in the city or incorpor-
ated towns, is would be less.