TAX ADMINISTRATION

149

$237,420, or an average value of $120.62, for taxes of 1927.
The latter valuation was approved by the State Board of
Equalization without change. For taxes of 1928, the
assessor’s valuation of motor vehicles in the same county
was $133,160, or an average value of $68.46,% and this valuation
 was recommended by the State Tax Commission and
approved by the State Board of Equalization? That is, for
taxes of 1928, an average value of $68.46 was approved, but
for taxes of 1927 an average value of $80.42 was deemed too
low, and it was therefore increased to $120.62, or 50%. It
is evident that one of the equalized average values must be
in error.
The property of public utilities other than certain strictly
local property, as previously stated, is centrally assessed by
the State Tax Commission, which submits its recommendations
 to the State Board of Equalization for final action.
Table 46 shows in detail the changes made by the State
Board of Equalization in the valuations for taxes of 1928.
The property in this classification was assessed by the State
Tax Commission at $493.2 million, which was reduced to
$486.1 million by the State Board of Equalization, the net
decrease amounting to 1.4%. The principal reductions were
in the valuations of electric light, power, and transmission
companies; the total valuation for this group was reduced
6%. The valuation of one large street railroad company
was reduced 14.3%. The other changes made in the valuations
 of utility companies were either very small on a percentage
 basis or involved comparatively small companies.
Some of the changes made by the State Board of Equalization
 in the valuation of public utilities result from hearings
before the Board, at which representatives of the companies
desiring reductions are present to state their case. If the
changes made in the valuations of companies that are given
a hearing may be taken as a criterion, it appears that mere
presence at a hearing does not ordinarily result in a change.
The Journals of the State Board of Equalization would seem

Journal of the State Board of Equalization, 1927, p. 19.
2 Biennial Report of the State Tax Commission, 1927-1928, p. 100.
+ Journal of the State Board of Equalization, 1928, p. 16.