1. The merchants’ book and manufacturers’ book prepared as prescribed by law shall be returned by the assessor to the county board of equalization on the first day of July of each year, which said board is hereby required to meet at the office of the clerk of the county commission on the first Monday in July of each year for the purpose of equalizing the valuation of merchants’ and manufacturers’ statements, and to that end shall have the same powers and shall proceed in the same manner as provided by law, for the equalization of real and other tangible personal property, so far as is consistent with the provisions of this chapter.

2. 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 not less than five days’ notice through the mail, prior to the day of hearing, specifying the amount of such raise and advising the taxpayer that he may offer objections to such increase as made.

3. The last meeting of said board shall be held not later than the thirty-first day of July of each year, except in any city not within a county or any county with a charter form of government, in which such last meeting shall be held not later than the fourth Saturday in August.