Washington standard. [volume] (Olympia, Wash. Territory) 1860-1921, 1880-10-22

Penitentiary properly. of which hi
/ is part owner, for assessment in thu
year 1878, although it passed into thu
hands OF the contractors before tht
levy was made; nor was it assessed
for 1879, and not until the STANDARD
directed attention to the glarins
wrong, did aIr. Billings attempt te
make restitution of the amount
wrongfully withheld. And how
does he now endeavor to cure the
matter? BY ignoring the taxes
which would have accrued for 1875
entirely and paying moiety of the
amount properly due for 1879. The
revenue law provides, Section 20
"Any property willfully concealed,
removed, transferred or misrepresen-
ted by the owner OF agent thereof,
to evade taxation, upon discovery,
must be assessed at twice it's value
as penalty for such concealment,
removal, transfer or misrepresenta-
ton, and the assessment SO made,
must not be reduced by the Board
of Equalization" Now the discov-
cry is made that part of the Asses
sor's own property has been econ
cealed" for two years, and still that
officer ignores the penalty which the
law affixes, when the property is
dragged to the light, and pays on a
sum twenty-five per cent. less than
the value returned for the current
year. In other words, the Peniten-
tiary property is assessed this year
at s. 900; the Assessor in the face
of the law quoted above, paid few
days ago tax representing So 900,
or 81 900 less than its present &C.
knowledgsd value. Can Mr.. Bill
liugs' most devoted friends palliate
such conduct? Can they excuse
him for taking advantage of the fact
that the levy of 1879 is regarded as
illegal at best, and accept what he
may be pleased to tender as full
payment of his obligation?
The magnitude of the loss to the
people from the defective assessment
roll of 1879, = will not be fully re-
allied until in after years, when
every taxpayer will be made to 60
down into his pocket to make up the
amount forever lost to the people
through the Assessors negligence,
unless indeed bis bondsmen are held
for it.
We regard the election of Mr..
Kratz a duty far exceeding the
claims of party. 1t is duty which
Republicans cannot afford to ignore.
They are under no obligation to Mr..
Billings which has not been repaid
ten-fold By the thousands of dollars
paid him ~ ~thss ~2aass. ,.sass's.@ :-es,..s.
They SO thought few years ago and
laid him aside, and it was only by
going over to the enemy and accept
ing Office from them that he sub
sequently reiustated himself with his
former party associates. Is that party
prepared to acknowledge that, de-
spite his negligence of duty and the
consequent loss to the people, de-
spite his recreancy to the party itself,
that no is OF so much importance,
they cannot afford to lay him aside 4?
The limits of this article preclude
the possibility of abiding in fitting
terms to the other nominees oppos ID
to the ring, in this issue. Suffice it
to say, they are all honest and cap
able men, and should receive the
united support of the party as we'll
as the votes of Republicans who are
not bound hand and foot to the ma
chine which drags them victims of a
blind infatuation.
Gov. Newell has telegraphed the
Republican Central Committee that