The people's voice., 1958-04-25


commissioner, "barely opened tn,
door, to the carrying out of the pro
gram.)
Commissioners, in attempting tt
classify property not specifically GOV
cred in the instructions should use
their common sense; should on this
like other phases of the program
draw upon the opinions of the people
living in the area, etc.
SOME MAJOR SPECIFICS"
In thrashing out answers to a mum
Der of questions which have arisen,
decisions were reached covering a
number of previously unclear points.
Highly productive acreage, par
ticularly irrigated acreage should,
when varying widely in productive
capacity, be classified in pieces from
around 10 acres on up to the basic
4O-acre unit specified under the 1857
act. On low-value grazing land, unless
there be great variation, classification
by 4O-acre blocks will control.
Soil bank lands and other lands
taken out of production under fed
eral programs are to be classified as
to their use over the base period 1886
through 1866.
Productivity is to be the major
consideration in classifying all lands.
Agricultural lands are classified on
a base of productive capacity of
wheat per acre, even though planted
to some other product. Valuation of
lands, as to actual use, distance from
shipping and trading centers, schools,
ETC.. will be determined after classi-
flying work is completed throughout
the state. At that time, the state board
and county commissioners and assess
ors will sit down and develop a scale
Of values for all land, taking into con-
sideration other factors besides pro-
ductivity.
Irrigated lands are only those
lands which are assured a reasonable
supply of water year in and year out.
All others, crop and grazing, are to be
considered non-irrigated, although at
times irrigation water is available for
such lands.
Timberland classifying is not to
be confined to the 13 western coun-
ties, but is to be classified as such
wherever timber of Commercial val
ue" is to be found. In the past, east
of the divide, such lands have been
placed in grazing land classification.
On city and town lots used for
residential purposes, it is perfectly
all right for commissioners to have
local people classify, provided expert
enced people are available. Also. in
the smaller towns and villages local /
people often may be able to do salts
factory classifying jobs on business
establishments. The state board, how
ever, recommends very strongly the
hiring of professional classifying-ap-
praisal firms to handle classifying of
industrial properties such as refin-
cries, factories, ETC., and other COM
mercial properties in the larger towns
and cities.
State board field men will at
tempt to get into each county at least
once each month. In case of emerg-
ency, the board will attempt to get a
fieldman to the county in difficulty
In connection with the
after, the board suggests that the
of adjoining counties
,e called in so that problems of across
county lines uniformity and other
questions may be thrashed out at one
sitting.
The state board will make avail
lble to all counties Sall decisions on
questions not covered in the "Bible"
which may arise as the program is
pushed toward completion. This way,
,arious counties with similar or like
problems may be saved costly redo
work.
Counties should hold off putting
lew valuations on reclassified prop
rty, except in cases of "glaring in {
quities", until such time as all Sc !
ounties have completed classifying I
york and the state board and county /
fficials have met and established S
of classification and valu- 3
tion between the counties. $
After statewide classification $
nd appraisals have been agreed on
on or shortly after July 1, 1862 it a
ill be necessary for all counties to 7
eep changes in valuations current. =
Commission members present at
\