The Seattle post-intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, Wash. Terr. [Wash.]) 1888-1914, 1889-12-15
{HE TAX PROBLEM.
~ 20 Get the Most Revenue
With the Least Tax.
,arTs or THE PRESENT SYSTEM
=. n.seafsy % Assessing Personal
x.ss<rsy--Essaa Estazs sow Taxed
az ons-haIf Its saIue.

..wx.s1 Dec. 1.-THE committee on
- AMI taxation Of the Senate is
49, the FINANCIAL pr0skem with intent
chairman yeiYweafher II tie Alex
e. hamilton wao viii strike the corpse
isc credit and gsiyaaize Il with .
-. fteasnry Of public cash or, more
....s..r sad less hgHratfysIys he has a
- - phjch the state il expected 70
- onl ia present FafnentabIe condi-
= = Kysat EnameiN distress, and pay
- gut Il vii ae 9TH borrowed money.
s<-v~sfhssss schetne. mentioned briefly
s s.. nspes last Monday morning, i that
:. 80 slail sIsesr funded debt OF &c.
q - ssssst yeafs, az rate not 20 exceed
8. nsis4 per arnum The money de-
- ssam the negotiation 81 bonds shall
lssalad primarily 20 elping
e - present. indebtedness Of s23s ,fs2.15,
= - kagance can I've used Tor tie usual
-. earDsses. The plan, which will be
.-.s,sslcl into 8 las. has IN view the
..-.sIsf constitutional limitation Of I'M
1880 s.so meet casual deficits or fall
-. 3 sssennes, aud Il intended to open
i. -, clear % drawing upon the income
/ : fy9lsu or more that viii shortly be
- from the tax levy Of isS9.
ssnssor Falrweather assumes that the In
k.h,esnesA will be contracted at 8 per
aal Bat Il Is almost certain that bonds
s So go wiIi find buyers ri D per cent.
- easaildy less. The legal rate Of
k.s.ess il 10 PER cent, and II
s. bonds can be placed az O
- eent. tue state will save
- year sum equal 70 FIVE per cent. Of
!. xsoss indebtedness II the total debt
ssssssse + 10000 (which il surely will
: soonl, FaiFaeather's plan will save to
- safe sanuaily. as long Is the tndebf-
sEaess i il psndeDey the sum OF $4,000
safe Asditer Reed has . plan little
ssasnt from Senator fairweashers. he
xaa.s 10 secure a loan Of the entire
ls00U, which wiIi cover the present In
ls1ssasess ard :he $1,000 IL Is assumed
IL session Of Isse legislature will cost.
81 lhls Is done. said Sir. Reed. s'my
s,aalon is that the $4,000 and more due
d me levy Of iss9 will be sufficient to
nsss ell appropriations made By this legis-
hsare. The state would therefore leave
Exchanging q debt of over S4o0,0O al
tlsut Eve per cent. interest. it would
~ pas 50 90 each year for interest. while
/ Tbs debt were not funded. it would no
Soslbi soon reach $50. coo, and the interest
seuld reach $4,000 annually.
srkrK caEAFKR THAN TEEEIroKy.
Il do not believe, continued Auditor
Essd, that the expenses OF the state gov
Rnmeae will be relatively as great as were
IL territorial Under the territorial sYs-
ssfa, counties were permitted 20 enter
Rsdiss against the territory for cost bills
shtl fur ether claims. and when making up
her returns OF taxes they simply deducted
De amounts OF their credits and forwarded
be remainder. The territorial officers thus
assss had Al opportunity 80 audit these
dams. Under the new system, however,
esIssty tscasarers shall not be allowed 10
alika abatement for commissions Here
Il the provision heArsne on this nslaiect IN
Article VII. OF the constitution:
''sse {. All taxes levied ane collected for
sszse rsspesss siialI % pad IL money only into
the ssAis treasury.
A clause IN article IA has more particu.
lar references % this subject:
~ " &t444tls tatk the AAfs4uttaff6 =ffefe-
81, gaF the property therein, shall se released
fson Sc as their proporsioaase shsre Of taxes 10
B. levied for state purposes. uor shall comm.
sssian icf aaah taxes be authorized IN any form
whatever
"A Communication OF tar is an ofFset-and
these cost bits and claims have been in the
mature 81 Offsets.
Il thiak Il the state debt is funded al
se0,p0 We viii be able 20 get along next
ysag with a levy q IS mills and that We
WI be able 10 pay cash all the time.
a rang TAX SYSTEM.
The state saditer had much criticism 10
Bake Of the present system Of taxation.
When asked 70 specify the particulars in
sh'ea The system Is faulty, he made refer
shee 70 his report rs territorial auditor
n.ade 10 the territorial legislature in 1887.
fhese recommendations " said Mr.. Reed,
are 81 especial apsneSs and force iust ct
ths present time, when new code of laws
g revenue and taxation must be adopted. -
isitsfiuK N RKAt PROPERTY.
In bis rsport the aadlior calls attention
2 namber Of sources Of revenue com.
hoaly atilised in other states. bat EN-.
sesly neglected in Washington. These are
ma'ais sncomeS from the gross earnings
avs Mentioning the unequal method ~
aaaasea % zeal and personal property. as
= Prevent pfsetieed. the auditor says:
fldeF our present revenue law. in de-
taihx the word property. the term real
s'A1e Includes the ownership of. legal
saAlsl g, the possession OF. the right "a tne
Fssssss'sss OF land, all mines. minerals add
S-AsEsss IN and under the land, and tlm-
~ q nAtafsl growth on the land. alt
ssSa@ aud privileges appersaining So the
Asd, aud ali buildings aud Improvements
sF0a Ifs land, The term personal prop
ss saslades everything which is the sub
- g ownership not taclusied IN the term
"a estate. Is IL eyident. therefore. that
- term personal property comprises .
ssss 'aage og capital and interest which
- a~ makes the subject az taxation j.
-. loE instance, as aonsy. credits. dues.
ssSks, bonds. cheeks. mcTeh andise. leu-
~ eeais, vessels sud a great variety "
ss'FF matters aud things. capsule NJ pri.
's's cSesrSh.p not camprekended ia the
@sia 'reai estate. II IL were possible 10
saae9s aay treasures by which = tAlg and
- casa valuation Of al property, real
- aersesSl. euaid he reached.
s's iss's sesms essaF aRd iacoasestihse that
1s sszssh q tee territory IN personal
Esspsfty fDs the purposes of tssstson
s-sa largely pgetomlnate over THAI 81
"a estate os4ag 70 the gtxra and mere
AakihAe Haisre Of the latter il Is cas- =
s'sasa and is approximate valae aseer-
Nssf ey Tie assessor. eas in a large nseas-
~ 'as reverse is true ia Fsspees 10 PR
e. property. The result demonstrates
- tAEs. which may he seen IS a sssnee.
a. Sasie Fsal estate values. which fFnm
ssesseixnee snd negligence 81 assessors to
ss'ssra their dates under ths law. srs
ANY ever assessed at more thsn ere bali
- 'sAi cash vaiae. very large proper
80 g intangible property. consisting ei
.'SSks, aends credits. dues aud ether tn.
a 4