USA > Idaho > History of Idaho, the gem of the mountains, Volume I > Part 39
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HISTORY OF IDAHO
River Times, founded in 1881 by T. E. Picotte and published as a daily until January 1, 1919; and the News-Miner, established in 1881 and printed as a daily to this date. Editor, Geo. D. Wheeler. Also there is published by the Hailey Times-News-Miner, the Bellevue News, a weekly, and successor to the paper of that name published at Bellevue, Idaho, until January 1, 1919.
Harrison-The Searchlight, established in 1899; republican in politics ; pub- lished every Friday by Samuel M. Logan.
Hill City-The News, founded in 1912 as an independent weekly newspaper; published every Friday by the Camas County Publishing Co., D. W. Zent, manager.
Homedale-The Empire Press, established in 1914; independent in politics ; issued on Thursday of each week by Frank E. Trotter.
Idaho City-The World; established in 1863 by the Butler brothers as the Boise News, the oldest newspaper in Southern Idaho; issued every Friday by Charles E. Jones.
Idaho Falls-The Post, established in 1905 as a republican newspaper; pub- lished every day (morning and evening) except Sunday by The Post Company- B. H. Read, editor and manager, C. J. Read, associate manager. The Idaho Register, established in 1880 by W. E. Wheeler, republican in politics; issued on Tuesday and Friday of each week by Register Printing and Publishing Co., Inc., M. B. Yeaman, manager. The Times, established in 1890; democratic in poli- tics ; published every Thursday by Dennis & Snyder.
Idahome-The Inland Empire, established in 1915 as an independent demo- cratic newspaper; issued every Wednesday by F. E. Griswold, editor-publisher.
Ilo-The Lewis County Register, established in 1908; issued every Thursday as an independent newspaper by C. H. Martin.
Jerome-The Jerome County Times-Independent, weekly, established in 1911 as the Lincoln County Times, by J. T. Alexander, now published by Berkley Walker. North Side News, established in 1908; republican in politics; issued every Thursday by John D. Nims.
Juliaetta-The Juliaetta Record, established April 24, 1919; independent in politics ; issued every Thursday by J. C. Bulen.
Kamiah-The Progress, established as an independent weekly in 1905; issued every Friday by Ralph Prescott.
Kellogg-The News, established in 1886; republican in politics ; issued every Friday by W. L. Penney.
Kendrick-The Gazette, established in 1892 by Joseph S. Vincent as the organ of the democratic party in Latah County and to promote the interests of the Pot- latch country; now independent in politics; issued every Friday by Ralph B. Knepper.
Kooskia-The Mountaineer, established in 1899; independent in politics; issued every Wednesday by Lloyd A. Fenn.
Kuna-The Herald, established in 1914; published every Friday as an in- dependent newspaper by P. J. Gregory.
Lewiston-The Lewiston Banner, established in 1916 as an independent re- publican weekly, published every Friday by H. E. O'Donnell. The Tribune, founded in 1892 by A. H. and E. L. Alford; published every day as an inde-
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HISTORY OF IDAHO
pendent democratic newspaper by Tribune Pub. Co., Alford Brothers. West- ern Poultry, established in 1912 and published monthly by Robert G. Bailey.
McCall-Payette Lake Star. Founded January 1, 1918 by M. A. Bates, editor and publisher. Democratic in politics. Mr. Bates was for years editor of the Parma Herald, now discontinued.
McCammon-The News, established in 1911; republican in politics ; issued every Friday by J. F. Whitney.
Mackay-The Miner, established in 1906; independent in politics and de- voted chiefly to the mining interests of Custer County ; issued every Wednesday by L. E. Dillingham.
Malad City-The Enterprise, founded in 1886 by J. A. Streight and pub- ยท lished as a republican weekly every Thursday by Enterprise Co., Clyde Hanson, editor and manager.
Meridian-The Times, established in 1909; an independent republican weekly newspaper, published every Friday by John F. Baird.
Middleton-The Herald, established in 1906; democratic in politics ; published every Thursday by William Lemon.
Midvale-The Reporter, established in 1909; issued every Thursday as an independent newspaper by T. McParlin Gough.
Montpelier-The Examiner, established in March, 1895, by Charles E. Har- ris ; independent in politics; issued every Friday by H. M. Nelson.
Moscow-The Idaho Post, established in 1906; independent in politics ; issued every Friday by George N. Lamphere. The Star-Mirror, an independent daily, established by the consolidation of the Mirror and the Star and published every day except Sunday by Geo. N. Lamphere. The University Argonaut, published every Wednesday during the college year by the students of the University of Idaho.
Mountain Home-The Republican, established in 1889; independent in poli- tics ; published every Saturday by Geo. F. Lee.
Mullan-The Progress, established in 1912; independent in politics and de- voted chiefly to local news; issued every Friday by O. A. Riedel.
Nampa-The Leader-Herald, established in 1891; issued every Tuesday and Friday by Jenness & Son as a republican newspaper. The Record, established in 1904 by the Cooperative Publishing Company, W. V. Wiegand, manager, and issued every Thursday.
New Plymouth-The Sentinel, established in 1910; issued every Friday as a democratic newspaper by P. Monroe Smock.
Nez Perce-The Herald, established in 1898 ; independent in politics ; published every Thursday by Conger & Mitchell.
Oakley-The Herald, established in 1896; independent in politics; issued every Friday by Charles Brown.
Orofino-The Clearwater Republican, established in 1912 as a republican weekly; issued every Friday by A. E. Gillespie. The Tribune, established in 1905; democratic in politics; issued every Friday by I. R. Crow.
Paris-The Post, first established as the Bear Lake Democrat in 1881; now a republican weekly ; issued every Friday by the Post Publishing Company.
Parma-The Herald, founded in 1903 ; democratic in politics ; no longer pub-
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HISTORY OF IDAHO
lished (See McCall). The Review, established in 1909 as a republican weekly ; published every Thursday by Lillian Dickinson.
Payette-The Enterprise, established in 1905; republican in politics ; issued every Thursday by William Wells. The Independent was established in 1891 ; issued every Thursday by H. R. Young.
Plummer-The Reporter, established as an independent newspaper in 1910; published every Thursday by N. A. Hoisington.
Pocatello-The Idaho Techniad, established in 1909 and published every Tues- day during the college year by the students of the Idaho Technical Institute. The Tribune, a republican daily, was established in 1890 as a republican weekly ; pub- lished every day, and semi-weekly editions are issued on Wednesday and Satur- day for rural circulation ; The Tribune Company, publishers and proprietors. William Wallin, Mgr., Chas. G. Sumner, editor.
Post Falls-The Advance, established in 1905 as an independent weekly ; issued every Friday by M. P. Wetherell.
Preston-The Franklin County Citizen, established in 1911 ; issued every Fri- day by W. L. Roe and devoted chiefly to local news.
Priest River-The Times, established in 1914; independent in politics ; issued every Thursday by Adolph A. Herzberg.
Rathdrum-The Rathdrum Tribune, established in 1895; independent repub- lican in politics ; published every Friday by Culp Brothers.
Reubens-The Citizen, established in 1911 as an independent newspaper ; is- sued every Friday by Philip T. Garber.
Rexburg-The Rexburg Journal, established in 1889; democratic in politics ; issued every Friday by Arthur Porter, Jr. The Standard, established in 1906 as a republican weekly ; published every Thursday by W. Lloyd Adams.
Richfield-The Recorder, founded in 1909; published every Friday as a repub- lican newspaper by W. S. Parkhurst.
Rigby-The Star, established as a republican weekly in 1903; issued every Thursday ; R. Irvin Jones, manager.
Roberts-The Sentinel, established in 1912; independent in politics ; issued every Friday by Walter C. Adams.
Rockland-The Times, established in 1910; published every Saturday by Clyde Hanson as a republican newspaper.
Rupert-The Minidoka County News; issued every Thursday by O. F. Allen and A. H. Lee, was formerly published under the name of The Patriot. The Pioneer-Record, established in 1904; independent in politics; Clyde S. Shaw, editor.
St. Anthony-The Fremont County News, established in 1893 as a republican weekly : published every Wednesday by William F. Gibson. The Teton Peak- Chronicle, established in 1899; independent in politics ; issued every Thursday by Wood D. Parker.
St. Maries-The St. Maries Gazette-Record, published semi-weekly, suc- ceeded the Gazette, established in 1906, and the Record, established in 1913, the merger being made in 1918, and is published by Charles Brebner.
Salmon-The Herald, established in 1901 ; republican in politics ; published by E. K. Abbott every Wednesday. The Idaho Recorder, established in 1886 and now published by J. F. Melvin every Thursday as a democratic newspaper.
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HISTORY OF IDAHO
Sandpoint-The Northern Idaho News, established in 1899; democratic in politics ; issued every Tuesday by Don C. D. Moore. The Pend d'Oreille Review, established in 1902 as a republican weekly; published every Friday by George R. Barker.
Shelley-The Pioneer, established as an independent newspaper in 1906; published every Friday by Joseph S. Adams.
Shoshone-The Journal, founded in 1883 by W. C. B. Allen ; an independent republican newspaper ; published every Friday by Edward T. Barber.
Silver City-The Owyhee Avalanche, established in 1865; issued every Friday as a republican newspaper by J. S. Flanagan.
Soda Springs-The Chieftain, established in 1900 as a republican weekly ; issued every Thursday by W. H. Hildreth.
Spirit Lake-Herald, established in 1908; republican in politics ; issued every Friday by A. L. Earin.
Star-The Courier, founded in 1910; republican in politics ; published every Thursday by Johnston brothers, who also publish the Eagle Enterprise.
Stites-The Enterprise, established in 1913 ; devoted chiefly to local news ; pub- lished every Friday by A. J. Stuart.
Sweet-The Boise County Sentinel, an independent weekly established in 1909 ; published every Thursday by R. N. Alters.
Troy-The News, established in 1895; independent in politics; issued every Friday by B. C. Johnson.
Twin Falls-The Chronicle, established in 1908, as a democratic weekly, is now published as a daily morning paper. Robt. H. Stevenson is owner and pub- lisher. The Times, an independent newspaper, established in 1905, is published as a daily by the Times Printing & Publishing Co., of which D. M. Denton is president. The News, republican in politics ; published daily and weekly by Roy A. Read.
Vanwyck-The Times, established in 1907; democratic in politics ; published every Tuesday by the Times Publishing Company.
Wallace-This city has two newspapers-the Miner, a republican weekly, es- tablished in 1907 and issued every Thursday by Wallace Printing Co .; and The Wallace Press Times. the outgrowth of a consolidation of the Idaho Press, estab- lished about 1885, and the Wallace Times, established 1905, after absorbing the Idaho State Tribune, established 1887. It is now the leading newspaper of Shoshone County and the Coeur d'Alene mining district, and is issued daily except Monday by The Press Times Publishing Co., independent democratic. A weekly edition is printed on Friday.
Weiser-The American, a republican weekly, issued every Thursday by L. B. Jenness. The Signal, established in 1882 ; republican in politics until 1918, when it announced its independence and that in that campaign it would support the demo- cratic ticket, which had been endorsed by the nonpartisan league ; issued on Mon- day and Thursday of each week by L. I. Purcell, managing editor for the Sig- nal Publishing Co.
Wendell-The Irrigationist, established in 1909 as an independent weekly; devoted chiefly to the interest of farmers occupying irrigated lands ; issued every Thursday by William A. Pyne.
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CHAPTER XX FINANCIAL HISTORY
EARLY CONDITIONS IN IDAHO-EXTRAVAGANT LEGISLATION AND HIGH TAXES- TAXATION OF MINES-FINANCIAL GROWTH-PROPERTY VALUATION BY COUNTIES IN 1917-PUBLIC REVENUES-BONDED DEBT OF THE STATE-THE SECURITY- BANKING, ORIGIN OF-UNITED STATES BANKS-IDAHO BANKS-LIST OF BANKS IN 1918; CAPITAL STOCK, SURPLUS, DEPOSITS AND PRINCIPAL OFFICERS.
Under the provisions of the act of Congress, approved on March 3, 1863, the Idaho pioneers began the work of building up a state in the mountainous regions of the Northwest. Most of these pioneers were men of energy and courage, full of hope for the future, but their supply of this world's goods and ready cash was rather limited. It is the history of every new state that, until the resources are sufficiently developed to yield a certain and steady income, the demand for public improvements calls for an expenditure that greatly outstrips the sources of public revenue. In creating the temporary government for the Territory of Idaho, Congress aided by making appropriations for certain pur- poses, but during the early years the burden of taxation fell heavily upon the settlers.
The organic act creating the Territory of Idaho fixed the salaries of the territorial officers, who were appointees of the president, and these salaries were paid by the United States. Among these officers were the governor, the terri- torial secretary and the three district judges who also constituted the Supreme Court of the territory. The government also paid the members of the Legisla- ture the sum of $4.00 per day during the time they served in that capacity.
As the salary paid these officials by the government was not in amount suffi- cient to pay the ordinary expenses, even if paid in the usual circulating medium of the territory, it was entirely deficient when paid, as it was, in "greenbacks," which during the early days of the territory were at a heavy discount, being worth only 40 cents on. the $1 in 1864. Realizing the embarrassing position in which these officers were placed by not having a salary sufficient to maintain them, the first Territorial Legislature, as heretofore mentioned in chapter ten assumed the right to pay an increased salary out of the territorial funds, and fixed an extra annual compensation to be paid of $2,500.00 to the governor, $1,500.00 to the secretary, $2,500.00 to each of the judges, and $2.00 per day to each member of the Legislature, the total amount of these extra salaries aggre- gating $13,660.00 for the first year of Idaho's territorial existence.
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Owing to the peculiar condition of matters in the territory, there was but little property subject to taxation and the necessity of providing funds not only for the territorial expenses but for the extra pay of the officers, which should have been an obligation of the general government, although it would at the present time seem unimportant, became, under the circumstances, an onerous burden for the people to bear and a high rate of taxation was the consequence.
The extra compensation paid to the Federal officers was continued until the Congress of the United States in 1867 deprived the territorial legislature of the power to continue such payments. It necessarily followed that in a country in process of settlement, as was Idaho in all its sections at the time of the meeting of the first legislature, taxes would be high. There was but little property sub- ject to taxation. The government had not passed title to any of the agricultural lands and very little land of this kind was occupied. The improvements made on that which was first occupied in 1863 were so slight as to make their value almost intangible, so far as taxes were concerned. There was no title except a possessory one to the ground upon which the houses in the towns were built and the houses themselves, even the most pretentious store buildings, were cheaply constructed of lumber and had but slight value. The principal occupation of the population of the state was mining and following the rule adopted in all juris- dictions upon the Pacific Coast, the mining property of Idaho was exempted from taxation. It necessarily followed that, in the absence of other property, the men engaged in business in the towns practically paid all of the taxes necessary to maintain the territorial and county governments.
TAXATION OF MINES
While upon the subject of taxation in the early days and the fact that min- ing claims were exempted from taxation, it is proper to consider the long mooted question of taxation of mining claims. The settled policy of the gen- eral government has been to open the mineral lands of the country to pros- pectors and to permit those finding valuable minerals thereon to locate them under restrictions either imposed by Congressional enactment or the laws of the state of territory wherein the claims are situated. In the earlier days, as here- tofore stated, the miners themselves were expected to make their laws covering the particular districts in which their claims were situated, but in a few years this method was dropped and the mining states and territories assumed the right to make general laws governing the subject of location and retention of mining claims subject only to the paramount authority of the Congress of the United States to legislate upon the same subject. In none of the mining states of the Pacific Coast have the mining claims themselves been taxed where held by pos- session only. It is possible for the owners of mining claims, either lode or placer, to obtain a patent for the ground, possession being had upon application duly made to the proper land office therefor, based upon surveys approved by the surveyor general of the jurisdiction in which such mining claims are situated. The issuance of the patent for such claims vests the fee simple title in the applicant and under the laws of Idaho as they now prevail, such mineral land is assessed at the nominal value of $5.00 per acre. Of course, structures placed upon mining claims are taxable, but the claims themselves, except where patented, are exempt. It has
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HISTORY OF IDAHO
been contended for many years in the mining states, especially by those not en- gaged in the mining business, that the owners of mines do not bear their proper share of the public burden and an effort has been made in practically every juris- diction upon the Pacific Coast to regard mines as other real estate is regarded and impose a tax in proportion to their estimated value. This effort has been strenuously opposed by those engaged in mining matters. As a compromise of these widely divergent ideas, Idaho in 1903, adopting the plan prevailing in Nevada, passed an act under which the net profits derived from working mining claims for each fiscal year was reported to the authorities and taxed as was other property. A considerable amount of revenue has been derived from this source in some of the mining counties of Idaho, notably in the county of Sho- shone, wherein most of the leading lead mines of the state are situated.
This method of taxation has been bitterly opposed by many who have devoted considerable thought to the subject and many reasons have been urged for treat- ing mining property in the same manner as other real estate for taxing purposes, but it has universally been contended, and apparently with good reason, that such course would be fatal to the mining industry; that it is impossible to fix the value of mining property because a heavily producing claim of this year may be a source of vast expense the succeeding year ; that there is no way of ascertain- ing the real value of a mining claim and that a vast majority of the claims worked are a source of expense instead of profit to the owners. It is also contended in behalf of the present system that mining claims are important adjuncts to other businesses, especially to farming, mercantile and lumbering pursuits, and that to injure the mining industry would be to strike a blow at the general prosperity of every community in which mines are situated. The question is an open one which may sometime in the future be more satisfactorily solved than it has been by the legislation now prevailing, but a large majority of those who have given careful attention to the subject feel that the contention of the miner is correct and that the system of taxing net profits of mining claims, instead of attempting to ascertain their actual value, is the proper course to be pursued, so far as the collection of revenue from that source is concerned.
FINANCIAL GROWTH
There is no better way of determining the financial growth of a state than by comparing the assessed valuation of property at different periods. While these valuations in Idaho have been somewhat fluctuating, the general trend has been steadily upward. The earliest figures available are those given in the report of the territorial comptroller for the year ending on December 1, 1864, when the assessed valuation of all property in the territory was $3,687.304.
Idaho remained a territory for about twenty-seven years. Comparing the annual assessment rolls during that period. the years 1867, 1870, 1871, 1872 and 1876 show a decrease from the valuation of the years immediately preceding, that of 1871 being the lowest in the history of the territory, to wit : $3,919,148.82. Part of the decrease in those years was due to the "working out" of placer mines, and the consequent depreciation in value of property in the mining towns, and part of it was no doubt due to the different ideas of assessors in fixing the valuation. In 1890, the year Idaho was admitted to statehood, the entire assessed valuation was :
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HISTORY OF IDAHO
Real estate and improvements
$11,173.51I
Railroads
5.358,338
Live stock 4.744,276
Goods, wares and merchandise
1,612,615
Cash, stocks and other securities 763,284
Other personal property
1.929,28I
Total
$25.581,305
The increase from $3,687.304 to $25.581.305 was not quite 700 per cent. In 1917 Idaho had completed the twenty-seventh year of her statehood-a period equal to that of her territorial history. The total valuation in 1917, as fixed by the state board of equalization, was $412,265,201, an increase of more than 1,600 per cent during the twenty-seven years since admission into the Union. The valuation by counties in 1917 was as follows :
Ada .$31,697,965
Idaho .$12.367,684
Adams
4,499,661
Jefferson
6,616,036
Bannock
28,177,709
Kootenai
17,718,208
Bear Lake
8,050,878
I atah
19,656,289
Benewah
9,158,31I
Lemhi
5.544,866
Bingham
12,432,065
Lewis
7,836,435
Blaine
5,659,14I
Lincoln
7.406,650
Boise
3.289,604
Madison
6,126,38I
Bonner
16,361,158
Minidoka
6,226,083
Bonneville
13,647,97I
Nez Perce
15,799.785
Boundary
6,389.776
Oneida
4.912,972
Butte
2.319,896
Owyhee
1,873,895
Camas
2,539,87I
Payette
4.528.351
Canyon
16,637,803
Power 9,017,757
Cassia
8.315,090
Shoshone 29.374.942
Clearwater
9.622,963
Teton
2,603,206
Custer
3.618,53I
Twin Falls
20.347,857
Elmore
7,829.30I
\'allev
4.457,014
Washington
8,240,423
Fremont
12,090.50I
Gem
3.303.314
Total for the state. . . . $412.265,201
Gooding
7,127.315
From this table it may be seen that of the forty-one counties in the state in 1917, thirty-six each showed a larger valuation than the entire territory in 1864, and three counties-Ada, Bannock and Shoshone-each returned more property for taxation than did the whole state at the time of its admission in 1890.
PUBLIC REVENUES
Section 2, article 7, of the Constitution adopted in 1889, provides that "The Legislature shall provide such revenue as may be needful, by levying a tax by valuation, so that every person or corporation shall pay a tax in proportion to the value of his, her, or its property, except as in this article hereinafter provided.
Franklin
5,841,453
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HISTORY OF IDAHO
The Legislature may also impose a license tax (both upon natural persons and upon corporations, other than municipal, doing business in this state) ; also a per capita tax. Provided, the Legislature may exempt a limited amount of improvements upon land from taxation."
Section 9 of the same article as originally adopted fixed the rate of taxation for state purposes at not exceeding ten mills on the dollar, and when the val- uation of taxable property in the state reached $50,000,000 the maximum rate of taxation for state purposes should not exceed five mills on the dollar. Fur- ther reductions were made until the property of the state was valued at $300,000,000 or over, when the rate should not be more than one and a half mills on the dollar. This section was amended in 1906 so as to read :
"The rate of taxation of real and personal property for state purposes shall never exceed ten mills on each dollar of assessed valuation, unless a proposition to increase such rate, specifying the rate proposed and the time during which the same shall be levied, shall have been submitted to the people at a general election, and shall have received a majority of all the votes cast for or against it at such election."
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