The Idaho Republican. [volume] (Blackfoot, Idaho) 1904-1932, 1921-12-08
Secretary of Grazing
Association Gives
Information
Chapter XVI

Chapter XVI
On the first Monday in Decembe,
the board of county commissioners
sat as the board of equalization and
The Republican writer dropped In
ct their meeting at 1920 in the
morning. Ray Pepper, one of the
local farmers was talking to. the
board about the contents of his tax
notice, and there was little discus
sion regarding eighteen head Of
stock, twenty head of stock, eleven
head, four work horses and two colts.
They were also talking about some
of the stock that he had sold during
the year and taken notes for: only
part of the notes had been paid and
he was likely to have to take the
stock back. Then there was mort
gage in, question and the commits
sioners seemed to think that perhaps
Mr.. Pepper had something that de-
served a reduction. Then again they
doubted whether he had or not; GER
tain animals seemed to have been
listed twice In his tar notice, but on
the other hand the mortgage he had
given did not seem to indicate that
they had. They said that they would
check it up with the record in the
assessors office and let him know
whether he would get any reduction
or not. So he left his tax notice
with them and went out.
Then the commissioners spent a
few minutes looking over some bills
for bridge work and one of them
said, why, they can't put in ten
hours day in this kind of weather,
it's an impossibility, | believe there
Is something wrong about these bills,
am in favor of allowing them for
eight hours a. day and leave it to
them to prove that they have worked
more than eight hours" Another
one was not in favor of taking any
action on them at all until they
knew just what they were doing. He
said that If there was anything
wrong with the bills, il they had been
padded as to the number Of hours,
they were not entitled to prompt
action at all. He was in favor Of
calling somebody in that knew all
about it and getting at the facts.
While they were looking over
these bills Dan Murdoch passed thru
the hall and they asked to have Dan
called in. Dan is deputy assessor
and when he came in he was asked
about this assessment of Ray Pepper.
They asked him II he remembered
anything about it or where he got
lis information, and he said he re-
very distinctly. He went
% Mr.. Peppers place as there was
Nobody at home but the children
Ind he could not find out anything
lbout their stock. He went on as
essing around the neighborhood and
made some inquiries of neighbors
egarding Peppers stock and re-
;eived such information as they
Gould give him. On another occasion
le went to Mr.. Peppers house again
md there was nobody at home but
he children, and said they did not
lnow where their parents were or
about. the stock. He made
urther inquiries of the neighbors,
,etting what information he could.
The third time he went to Mr.. Pep
'er's and could not find anybody but
he children. He told them that he
ad to assess that stock in some way
nd that If they didn't know any
hing about 1t he would just assess
at whatever he thought was
nough, and that they might be sorry
fterwards because he might get
hem too high. Then the children
ave him the information that is on
he tax notice and he believed that
vas about right. 1t correspondent
18th what the neighbors had told
i'm and he said he had examined
he mortgage record and it corre-
ponded pretty we'll with that. The
decided that under
he circumstances there was very
tile, il any doubt, and they would
i've the county the benefit Of the
oubt, leaving Mr.. Peppers assess
lent just as it was.
While they were on that subject
|. M. Farmer came in from Firth
18th package under his arm in q
ather case. Mr.. Farmer is cashier
the bank at that place and is also
le secretary for the Eastern Idaho
razing association and has been
nee the year 1915. He said he had
,me in in response to the subpoena
hich the commissioners had served
4 him and was ready to give testi-
ony. They opened up a big book
lat seemed to be the personal tax
III and said that they wanted to
AXE review of the assessment Of
le herds of stock. Mr.. Farmer
,ened up his leather case and took
1t a ledger in which he kept the ac-
'unts of the stockmen's accounts
ith the grazing association, the
lmes of the members and their
asing account. It seems that each
an makes application in the spring
r grazing permit for the number
animals he expects to put ON the
nge that season, and this appears
Mr.. Farmers record. After look
oking over the two books they de-
ded to have Mr.. Farmer 60 thru his
dger and call of the names Of the
counts, give the number Of animals II
at each man WAS paying grazing
es on and they would compare It