The Sun. [volume] (Price, Utah) 1915-1932, 1919-07-11
CHECKING UP FARM LANDS
State Administration Going Out For
Still More Taxes.

Before the FIRST Monday lu August
by which time the county commission
er- of The state are required under the
law fD uX the tax lcvies for their res
portiyc counties. the state board of
equalization this year hopes to have
made % fairly complete detailed cx-
animation ui The assessment rolls aud
method, BOO each county. u is pre-
dIriDd that au attempt will be- made
'u bring farm land property up to
-.m,Ihiug like 90, full value on the
assessment rolls. that consistent
checking Will br made against the
county records including The record.
"I rhattul mortgages in each county.
in fh' effort Goo get something like Oh
fh" live stock 300 the state pn the
assessment rolls. That assessment, of
fhr locks of merchandise of mcrcan-
tale establishment. of the state will be-
checked over. detailed examination .o
far madc having disclosed that sumo
ui Che larger store. in particular are
distinctly under assessed, and that
The general tendency of the revision
will ho upward. though in individual
instances % may be- downward
This work b. to bc carried by the
board into every county lu the mean.
Time The county commissioners will be-
directed 10 withhold action m fixing
'hc tax levy until the close Of the
legal period allowed 20 them for that
work Then they viii be- asked Ia fix
q levy only high enough TO produce
The necessary revenue IN the county
m view Of the increased assessed
valuation the respective counties are
likely to have un the assessment rolls
Members Of the state board of equal.
lntion will visit personally as many
counties NJ possible IN connection
with hi. work. IN other instances.
the taxing authorities Of the counties
may be- asked to go IN Salt Lake City,
because there b. much worl, io be- done
iu "a short time. and IL will be- impos
sblr for the board ~ visit every
county IN the time limit. The new
state law makes 10 not only % power.
hut The duty of the board ~ iuycsti.
gate The assessments In the couutic.
ns well ns 10 cpunliyo assessments a.
between counties.
Part Of the work ). hclng done by
special Investigation, for the state
board, Adam T.. Petersen and James
T. Hammond IT. They have Just
hecn over r. tour uf the southern part
~ the slate. taking in every county
south 1T Iunb and Utah. including
those couulics Tht7r tour included
WAYNE, Garfield and Kane. They
made their rrfnrt iu the state board
1T equalization few day, ngn and
have now started on northern loon
which will take in Davis. Weber, Nor.
gan, Rich and Summit counties. The
state board last week visited Utah
county aud met with the taxing aud
rrcurling officials there A ~.
suit of nm alldny conference. % was
decided that the state board should
undertake the revision of the assess
mcnis On farm lands and un merriam
disc m that county The county
board will investigate the assessment
on live stock and on banks and will
rrpuri before the end of the month Ia
The state board.
II wns declared after the matter
had hrcn pretty thoroughly discussed
that the farm lands of Utah county
were assessed 81 about ~ per cent al
their actual value, ~ shown hy com
pnrlson with other public records
The county officials took the position
that other cuuntics are assessing their
tarm lands nt even lower proportions,
and if the farmers of Utah county
are not Ia be- made a. paw moro than
their Just proportion uf the burdens
Of taxation. either the farm land as
srssmcni If Utah county must be-
kept down or the farm land assess,
mcnt Of nll the counties must climb.
The state board Of equalization A.
sorts that II will take mo- action ~ tu.
the assessment of farm lands iu Utah
county until e. has made q survey uf
Che assessment nf This class uf prop
crlN throughout thc state.
Comparison with rhaltrl mortgages
on iile indicated That about go per
cent of the live stock of Utah county
had been ae-rsstd this year. The
owners will br naked how they recon
ellie statements made a. the county
Assessor with statements made tu
bankers from whom they are barrow
ing money
The visit io Utah county was the
beginning of this phase of the state
boards work, which as Indicated. Is
to be- carried into every county M the
state