1. The assessor or the county clerk shall return the merchants’ tax book and the assessor shall make the reports required by section 150.055 to the county board of equalization on the second Monday in July in each year, which said board is hereby required to meet at the office of the clerk of the county commission on the second Monday in July in each and every year, for the purpose of equalizing the valuation of merchants’ statements, and to that end shall carefully compare the statements made by such merchants with the reports made by the assessor under section 150.055, and shall have the same powers and shall proceed in the same manner as provided by law, for the equalization of real and personal property, so far as is consistent with the provisions of sections 150.010 to 150.290; but after the board shall have raised the valuation of any statement, it shall give notice of the fact to the person, corporation or firm whose statement shall have been raised in amount, by personal notice through the mail, specifying the amount of such raise, and that the said board will meet on the second Monday in August to hear reasons, if any may be given, why such increase should not be made.

2. The members of the county board of equalization shall receive the same per diem for services under this section as provided by law for services in equalizing real and personal property, and the sum of the valuation of the statements as equalized by the county board of equalization shall be included in and made a part of the total valuation of property taxable for all purposes.