42 EXPERIMENT STATION BULLETIN 344 



ten-year period 1929-1939, the gross valuation of summer properties in- 

 creased between 36 and 76 per cent in the three sample towns (Table 18), 

 coincident with a rise in the valuation of public utility and commercial 

 properties, many of which came into being to serve the increasing re- 

 creation business. Year-round resident properties showed an equally con- 

 sistent decline, with the exception of Tuftonboro nonfarm properties, 

 which increased as a result of the construction and improvement of 

 homes by persons employed on summer properties and by summer visi- 

 tors who had retired within the town. During the ten-year period, sum- 

 mer home properties increased from one-third to nearly one-half of the 

 composite tax base of the three towns, while year-round occupied pro- 

 perties declined from 40 to 30 per cent of the gross valuation. Water- 

 front properties represented the bulk of summer home valuation in San- 

 bornton and Tuftonboro but were not important in Francestown. In all 

 three towns, open country homes gained in relative importance during 

 the ten-year interval. 



Total property assessment $468,875 $507,985 $952,633 $815,140 $1,118,443 $1,283,174 



Residences 94,460 63,425 131,720 94,830 97,250 135,925 



Commercial and part-time 



farms 149,415 106,248 396,967 293,610 192,068 128,548 



Summer homes: 



Open country 127,540 224,050 74,160 111,195 48,050 118,055 



Waterfront 3,150 5,850 110,100 138,870 475,650 666,885 



All 130,690 229,900 184,260 250,055 523,700 784,940 



Commercial properties 32,800 34,747 26,620 33,655 84,180 108,371 

 Unoccupied lands and 



vacant properties 44,710 53,065 175,140 85,790 187,245 91,290 



Public utilities 10,300 16,400 34,800 57,190 27,000 30,700 



Otber 6,450 4.200 3,126 — 5,300 27,050 



f The property tax base, or inventory of taxable property, includes land, buildings, electric plants, 

 horses, mules, oxen, cows, other neat stock, sheep, fowl, portable sawmills, wood and lumber, gaso- 

 line pumps and tanks, stock in trade, aqueducts, mills, and machinery. 



The general property tax yielded more than 80 per cent of the gross 

 revenue of each town during 1939, the residual income being divided al- 

 most equally between other local receipts and revenues from the State. 

 Summer home properties in Sanbornton, Francestown, and Tuftonboro 

 thus yielded 25, 35, and 50 per cent, respectively, of the gross revenues 

 of these local units of government through the medium of the property 

 tax, taking into consideration the importance of summer homes in the 

 property tax base and the importance of the property tax as a source of 

 local revenue, and assuming an equal rate of collection for all classes of 

 property. Although tax forfeitures were insignificant in all three towns, 

 summer residents met their obligations most promptly, thus making the 

 above proportions conservative with respect to the contributions of sum- 

 mer residents to the support of local government. 



