The Seattle post-intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, Wash. Terr. [Wash.]) 1888-1914, 1891-02-19
TO ASSESS EQUALLY.
First Annual Convention of
County Assessors.
SOME IMPORTANT MEASURES.
Proposals Made to Remedy Existing
Evils Committee to Present
Them to the Legislature.

The first convention of county assessors held
In this state began at the Diller hotel yesterday,
eighteen Of the principal counties being repre-
sented. The object Of the convention Is to equal.
ize the basin Of assessment. Hitherto there has
been no agreed basis of assessment 50 that in one
county property was assessed at one-third OF its
value, IN another at onc-haIf and in another at
two-thirds The result was that some counties
paid more than their share of state taxes. The
state board of equalization is designed to rem
edy this injustice, but that body docs not meet
until after the assessment Is made, and thus, II
IL increases the amount TO be paid by any
county. the additional sum has to be paid in
cold cash out Of the county treasury. In order
10 remedy these evils the assessors propose to
agree on . basis OF assessment for the whole
state.
The Plummer revenue bill was discussed and
recommend certain changes in some oil its Sec
lions.
The following county assessors were present:
lam; W. J. Honeycutt Columbia; Louis Gull
Paul, King c. ". cisasen. Kit,ap: a 5. K. Nc
es saa l coss Pierce w 4 xn bas s Sss
John F. Rhoades, snohomish: j. S. Brown, Spo-
kane; James c. Smith, Thurston NJ H. Paxton,
lam Pendeil, Whitman, and I. 4. snannafelt,
Yakima.
j. s. Brown, of Spokane, was chosen chairman,
TIdHA raul, oi Nlug. seeIetary, anu j. w. BUM,
OF Chehalis, assistant secretary.
The meeting decided to adopt the Barnard de-
tailed list for taxes aud assessments, and rec
commended II to the state auditor.
Then the Piummer revenue bill, now before
the House, was taken up and discussed section
by section. Section 6, providing for the yalua-
ton OF real estate every year instead of every
other year. was heartily approved and will be
recommended to the legislature for adoption.
1t was voted to ask that section Is, providing
Tor the deduction of Indebtedness from real
estate in assessments be stricken out. The sen
timent OF the body was also against the assess-
ment OF mortgages. aud that railroads should be
assessed as any other property is.
The sum OF s. day will be suggested for the
salary OF deputy assessors, when they actually
engaged in work.
A bill formulated fixes as the penalty of poll
tax delinquents a fine of SIS, or a months i'm
prisonment in the county jail; also 4 fine of be
tween 800 and 500 for corporations refusing to
give the assessor a list of men In their employ
or refusing to pay the poll taxes OF such men.
This bill will be suggested asa substitute for
section 10 OF the Plummer bill.
The following committee was appointed to go
to Olympia today and present the proposals of
the convention TO the legislature: Frank Paul,
OF King: George 4. Cook. of Pierce; NJ. J. Pax
ton. OF Walla Waila. J. W. Bum, of Chehalis:
u. \. Mcdonald, of Lincoln: J. S. Brown, of
Spokane, aud r. L. Kline, of Whatcons.
AT this mornings session the convention will
discuss personal property and railroad tracts,
the idea being to reach uniform rate of assess
ment and have each county stand its full share
OF the state tax