TAX ADMINISTRATION

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Nevertheless, the evidence seems to support the validity of
an average ratio of approximately 55%.
The data for 1929 shown in Table 51 indicate wide variations
 among the several counties. While the ratio computed
from the combined data for thirty-nine counties is 559%, the
ratios for individual counties range from 319% for St. Louis
County and 36%, for Lawrence County to 729, for Pettis
County. Although miscellaneous factors may have influenced
 the sales price, they could not account for such extreme
variations. It can hardly be contended that the same standards
 of assessment are used in these counties, particularly
when it is considered that an independent study made by
the Missouri Bankers’ Association in 1925 showed ratios
of 389, for Lawrence County and 789, for Pettis County.
Other comparisons might be made, but they would serve
only as corroborative evidence. When two independent
studies show results so closely similar, there can be little
doubt concerning the validity of the data.
Although on the whole rural properties show higher ratios
than urban properties, this is not uniformly true for all
counties. Not all sales under unusual conditions could be
eliminated from the data, and a factor such as this may
account in part for the higher rural ratios for some counties.
 It is doubtful, however, that it could account for the
wide difference between rural and urban ratios for certain
other counties.
Table 52 is a derivative table compiled from the same
data used for Table 51. Again, there is no heavy concentration
 in the 50%, to 59% group. Only 17.2% of the total
number of properties showed ratios between these limits, and
only 20.8% of the total sales value fell within the 50% to
59% group. As in the case of the 1922 data, a large number
of properties show ratios of more than 90% and less than
20%,. The extreme ratios in general are accounted for by
relatively small properties.
Charts 5 and 6 show the cumulative data in the lower part
of Table 52 in graphic form. Thus, Chart 5 indicates that
4.49, of the total number of transfers show ratios of 100%,
and over, that 59.39, of the total number of transfers show
ratios of 509, or over, and that 1009 or all properties show