Great Falls tribune. [volume] (Great Falls, Mont.) 1921-current, 1921-07-30
RECORDS SHOW
THAT PROPERTY
VALUE IS CUT
Decrease of 7 Per Cent
Appears in Returns
on Assessment Rolls.
Will Necessitate Higher
Levy or Retrenchment
in Expenditure.

! Special to The Daily Tribune.
| Helena, July Equalization
for taxation purposes of all
classes of property in Montana
for the present year will show
a decided falling off from that
Of 1920, as is being shown by
the reports of assessors of the
several counties now being re-
|ceived by the state board of
equalization.
With reports not yet received from
four counties, Daniels, McCone, Prai-
rie and Fallon, but with sufficient in
formation as to the assessments in
those counties with which to figure a
total. it is estimated by John Edger-
ton, one of the tax experts of the
board of equalization, that the total
valuation for 1921 will be 7 per cent
less than that of the total valuation
for 1920.
The valuation of all property in the
state last year, including railroads and
all other intercounties properties, was
S1,t6S,D24, 1O6. Ii the estimate of Z
per cent reduction is found to be cor
rect. this will mean reduction of
SIG, 761 1851 AZ and decided curtail-
ment of public expenditures or else an
increase in the tax levies to meet the
expenses of county and municipal gov
ernments.
Are Tabulating Returns.
The clerks in the office of the state
board of equalization are engaged in
tabulating the returns of the various
assessors for the information of the
board at it's regular meeting. which will
begin Monday, Agust s.
This tabulation cannot be completed
until the reports can be received from
the four counties which have failed
to get their reports in by the speci-
fled time, July IL, and telegrams have
been sent to these assessors with
view to Fastening their returns
On the date specified for the filing
of these returns with the board, the
assessors of only 24 counties had COM
Piled, leaving 80 delinquent. Since that
time, however, 26 of the delinquents
have been heard from.
in getting their reports before the
board and reports from two of the
counties did not get to the state house
until December 27.
Provide Stiff Penalty.
This, in spite of the fact that the
blanks sent to the assessors for filing
call attention to the state law, setting
forth the date they should be in the
hands of the board of equalization and
calling attention to very stiff penalty
for failure.
Section 254S of the revised codes of
1907 provides that the assessor of each
county must transmit, on the second
day of July of each year. a statement
Of the assessments on property in his
county. The penalty for failure is
provided for in section 2549, as fol- |
lows:
Every assessor who fails to COM
plete his assessment book, or who fails |
to transmit the statement mentioned |
in the preceding section to the state |
board of equalization, forfeits the sum |
Of $1,000. to be recovered on his Of |
ficial bond, for the use of the county, |
Or to be deducted from his salary by |
the board of county commissioners"
However, it is not known that this |
penalty has ever been imposed in any |
county in the state, although it ap-
pears that there have been numerous |
occasions when it could have been i'm |
posed, as is the case this year