Seattle daily post-intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, W.T. [Wash.]) 1881-1888, 1884-05-25

Al apopciar nesting held in Olymu;s
few days ago, to consider the assess
rnent OF 1894, reOnarks. a. reported il
the Transcript. ~ere made a. folloxs.
Z. H-nry. Probate Jadze, said tn,
tne onl-c' OF shs meeting Vas 10 oooo,s,
.ne ihn ited assessment. THAT there h a
oeen no such increase ia v ,lue sine. las
war. Inc present value IL donbl. IL
cash value. ~
n. ii OsinRs, Territorial Secretary
could see no reason shy tnnns n Il a.
q 'liars should be pat into the f,rri,o
Eb'i lreasufy; EnIgst as well throx i
into the bay ss TO give il to the farri
tory We would reee,vs bat HttIe of !,
o+ek INTO the county. here IL nos !
large surplus which is not required
Land In Clarke oyuaty worth SLjJ ne,
aore assessed At $40, and sb-pp At f5 q
% cents per had. Ace rdinl 20 th.I,
Val lati1n ours Ii 100 hIgn and shouia t,e
reduced.
L. H. Reed, Territorial Audi.or. said
ne could see M reason wny tsx.t 10
should BE- increased. TIE prluci sIe
npnn which ihe tom mmissiouers are art.
ing IL an Injustica To the coanty. w.
don want this ssrpus turned into the
territorial Treasury. Values should be
reduced to the actual cash value.
hey. ID. B4giey said hs b.l.esed that
the Assessor aud deputy had done their
duty; that they had not valued property
At more than its cash value. And Ia re-
ferring to Secretary ORings' speech, be
said: Would you, because other asses
sors had v4lued prooerty at less than
one-half it's value, aud by so doing yio
lated their oaths, nave our Assessor per-
jure himself? Is il right that | should
pay taxes on every dollar of my money
and he VINO has a lot pay only ene-haif
as valueg | can see no justice in re-
ducing the value Of real estate, which
think has been fairly valued"
Depnty Assessor Chiloerg said he W as
opposed TO the resolatiop. Ii was ab
surd 10 talk about reducing the presen,
xasossmelt to tue 81 sne 1t Was last YEAR.
which shs new +papers and nearly every-
body nt She time said was At least 33l6
per cenk too low; aud right on top of
that property has increased in value, as
every one knows, about 80 per cent. He
fDfefR6d TO Secretary OwIngs' remarks.
nn0 Asked: 'If, because the Clarke
county Assessor had valued land At $40
which Ne iOwings) said coulI not be
b01zht for $50 an acre, aud by 80 doing
had pefjured himself, would you have
others do the sameT" He referred to
the mortgage tax law, which had been
uguukht into dlsrepute because of low
v11aAsfon of real estate, and said: 1T
y not fair for you, who have a mort
ga9e Of $4,000, to pay taxes on the
Whule amount when another who has A
bl0ok Of land, for which you would be
gi1d &oexshange your mortgage, IL only
naseeNed for 5000 or $500" He then,
In order To show that the present vslua-
tion was not too high, mentioned a
number OF Gases where property had
been disposed of since the assess
ment was M ,de, and in every instance,
(exceptIng ose. where tue property wa-
encumbered with leases and mortgages }
the property bro leht from one third t.
two fifths more thau the assessed vain
alton; and he sefisd the advocates OF
low valuation to produce any such show
ing on their side. In King county toe
rule of valuation was 20 per cent. less
than asking prices, and here oar rule
has been one third less than the actual
s-llirg price. or nearly Que half less
than the asking price. Th-n he men
toned several lots and blocks for sale,
showing that the asking price WAS from
one third to one half higher than the
assessed value. Hs stated that the rule
for assessing merchandise was two
thirds of tue inventory, and where mer-
chants wonid shsw th=ir inventories.
tnev were assessed 400 Jrdlngly. but
those VINO would not proiuos tn .Ir
stock books were as -eSssd high, In order
To be sure that it covered everyth ny.
and nov they can nave their relief, not
by coming here. bat 10y going g. the
commissioner, ow their books. aud
get their reductions, If they are entitled
To any.
Mr.. Ward, of Tumwater, said that the
deputy assessor had treated him very
fair, and he thought that the prcsen
assessment was very fair one. lie be
lieved In higa assessments. 80 az Io
make spectators ply ~ high tax. which
would cause them 10 dispose III their
land to permanent settlers, ~ he had
been compelled ta co with some of hi
laud, aud nov there we're about dog III
settlers ON 1t.
In editorially commeatlng upon this
matter, the Transcript said:
We d. not see how the County Com
missioners can re nce the whole assess
ment, nor IL it likely they will attempt
to. hey have been busy for over twd
weeks in hearing complaints, eqaalizn2
the assessment and correcting errors.
This ia all the law allows them TO d.
The Assessor IL supposed tn ASSESS prop
erty At its real value, aud the Commts-
sioners can only equalize it at his rate
of assessment. Again. evea II the Com
mfssioners could reduce the rate, it II -
question whether 1t would be right when
a large number of other taxstyers be
l,eve the rate not too high. Property
has largely increased IN value dariue
the past year. and 10 consequence
should be assessed higher than IN for
mer years. It NAV be too high, but \
high assessment with lower levy g
preferable To low assessment vita a
high levy. IL the whole county ~ as
sessed at high rate, the only oblectio
can be that the Territory gels q Target
tax from the county th su ~ due from u