The Idaho Republican. [volume] (Blackfoot, Idaho) 1904-1932, 1921-02-28
The Tax Forum
WE MADE A MISTAKE
Everybody's Comments

Our statement in the last issue re
garding the assessment Of the Mil
lick block was a mistake and shoulc
have read 95 cents per square foot
Since the publication of that issue
we found some moro ground that was
assessed with 1t that we did not in.
clude in our former computation
Our comparison made then between
the Millick ground and the Boise
Payette Lumber ground, would need
to be modified to read that II the
Boise Payette Lumber ground had
been assessed on the same basis, II
would have raised their tax check
$4,000 above what 1t was.
A Bingham county man gave us a
new angle on the migratory stock
situation Saturday We did not ask
him whether we might quote him or
not, but we can call in the gentleman
II he is wanted. He said he was out
in the highlands in the east end of
the county and found the Bonneville
county assessor was on the job look
ing out for the herds and assessing
them. He stayed around the strate-
gic points, that is, the bridges, so
he could count the sheep and cattle
when they crossed the bridge. The
Bonneville assessor Mr.. Wright, was
enthusiastic and said he was getting
them practically all 1t was the time
the herds were moving, he had plan
ned his work so that he could stay
on the job at the important time and
remarked that he was getting them
all and that the Bingham county as
SCISSOR did not seem to be getting
any of them. He marveled that
Bingham county would stand for such
losses.
When the Bingham county man
came into Blackfoot, he went to the
assessor and called his attention to
the situation, says he did it in a.
gentlemanly manner and expressed
his concern and anxiety about it. He
said that the assessor replied in
manner and told him
It was none of his business, that he,
the assessor, was taking care of the
business Of that office and would take
care of the assessment of migratory
stock in his own way.
Different persons have come to the |
editor of this paper and expressed |
anxiety over the way the assessing is |
,eing done and asked il it made any
Inference what church a man be-
onged to, as to how his property was
'eing assessed. In these cases we
lave replied that we did not think
hat made any difference; we hoped
did not make any difference; we
i'd not believe it made any difference
nd in making comparisons of the
ray the assessments have been made,
re do ont find that there is any such
Inference. They say man gener-
lily sees what he is looking for and
nds what he is hunting for. We
re not looking for anything of that
ind, that is we are hoping we shall
OF find anything of the sort. We
re publishing enough assessments so
lat you can look them over and
make your own comparisons, but
ven if you find any evidence to that ,
feet, that will not alter the situa-
on at all for it will be no fault of ,
he people who were assessed If !
lch a thing were done it would be ,,
largable only to the individual do !
g the assessing. Let's get it all out
our heads that it makes any diff
renee about religion or politics in r
If business matters or tax matters.
have such things as that happen
ould be calamity. If lot of peo- .
e believe that it happened even tho :
were not happening, it would still
a calamity. That is one of the
SEES where your belief or your sus- l
cion does a positive injury. Forget
AS one studies the tax question
ore, they keep seeing more of the
John Rogers pays
shteen times as high rate on the
ound the Commercial hotel stands
as Mr.. Hughes does on what Cot
&c Hotel stands on. The two loca- V
ms are equally distant from the
siness center of the town with the
vantage of location in favor of the Il
numerical Hotel. There is; paving +
both sides of the Commercial O
tel and none around the Cottage
tel. We have not Investigated to
whether Mr.. Rogers paid cash on T
paving or whether it is included
his higher assessment. If it is in
ded in the assessment of course L
It would account for some of the
ference.