The Idaho Republican. [volume] (Blackfoot, Idaho) 1904-1932, 1920-08-18
ASSESSORS AGREE
RATE IS TOO HIGH
Cattle and Sheep As
sessed Above Value,
Admitted

County assessors are agreed that
cattle and sheep in the state are as
sessed above their actual value, &C
cording to reports made to the
state board of equalization from
twenty assessors. Each man was
questioned by the board for reasons
for increased or lowered assessments.
County abstracts were compared
with figures compiled by John D.
Robertson, tax commissioner assist
ing the board.
Reports from the remaining coun-
ties will be heard Friday morning.
Friday afternoon lumber company
agents will present reports, and Sat-
urday the board expects to start the
actual work Of equalization between
counties and the assessment Of pub
lie utility property.
B. L. Bennett Of jefferson county
echoed the sentiment Of majority Of
the assessors when he told the board
that while railroads and power COM
panies were going bankrupt, and
that sheep and cattle industries were
failing, yet the farmers of the state
we're in the same condition. He said
that. farmers have no market for
their hay and were no better off
than the utilities. Mr.. Bennett adj
vocated the non-reduction of public
utility assessments.
Hugh Sproat, president of the
Idaho Wool Growers association,
said that the sheep industry was on
the verge of ruin with no market
for wool or mutton. He asked for an
assessment Of 81 a head on sheep.
Cattle should not be assessed
more than $40 a head instead Of
the present assessment, according to
Trathen of Gilmore county, who ad-
vocated the cause of both sheep and
cattle men. Stock horses are worth
less, he said. He criticized the pres
ent system Of appraisement because
appraisers are not generally famil-
lar with the land to be appraised.
"The Oakley project in Cassia
county is a complete failure" said
Moses Smith of Cassia. There is
no water in the reservoir. Sugar
beet farming has not been a success
because of the scarcity of water and
the refusal of the beet seed compa-
MES to supply farmers with seed"
Cassia county cattle can be bought
straight through for $40 head.
Reports offered showed that the
assessment of city property in Ru-
pert was the highest in the state,
and that city property in Caribou
county should be raised SO per cent.
"The cattle industry is practically
gone, railroads are ready to jump,
and the highway assessment of 2
mills was just enough to tear up the
reads" said George w. Oylear, asses
sor of Canyon county. He reported
the failing of orchard lands in the
Roswell and Apple valley countries
and water seepages in the Middle
ton country. Wilder lands have in
creased in value from $50 to 1920
an acre this year. Canyon county,
he claimed, has had the greatest gain
in population of any county in the
state.
Merchandise stocks have been as
sesed from 70 to rs per cent
throughout the state by county
boards of equalization. In Boundary
county practically all the accessible
timber has been cut and stocks of
lumber are one-third of last year, &C
cording to Assessor W. c. Reid.
Appearances were made by Asses
sors w. G Reid, Boundary; w. P.
Matthews, Butte; George w. Oylear,
Canyon; A. J. Greenwald, Caribou;
Moses Smith, Cassia; John W. Hyde,
jr., Clark; D. M. Burnett, Custer;
Thomas Trathen, Elmore; David s.
Jones, Oneida; G. O. Cornwall, Mini
doka; G. D. Gosalind, Franklin;
Henry L. Adams, Fremont; David
J. MCGOWAN, Gem; William G. White,
Lemhi; J. L. Armstrong, Nez Perez;
Bash L. Bennett, Jefferson; s. H.
Smith, Kootenai; w. H. Herrick,
Shoshone; Emit J. Gemmill, Latah;
f. H. Ratliff, Lewis.-Boise States