The Seattle post-intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, Wash. Terr. [Wash.]) 1888-1914, 1891-03-08
THE TAXATION BILL.
Passage Of FORESTS Plan Of
County Revenue.
SOME VERY RADICAL CHANGES

"
Otringsnt Rrovisions for Pail valuat1en
81 Property ana Prompt Col
lsstfen - Faxes.
OLYMPIA. March 7.-[Special 1.-The For
rest revenue and taxation bill, which has
passed both houses. is q very voluminous
document, covering thirty pages in type.
As finally adopted it has 10 sections. It
provides that all real and personal prop
erty shall BE- subject to valuation at IL
noon on the LIST Of April, and then gives
the usual statutory description of prop
erty. It exempts schools. colleges, ETC.,
cemeteries, church property used exclu-
sively for public worship, up to 5000, and
places the exemption on all personal prop
erty at $500.
There are no material provisions until
the tenth section is reached, and there the
personal property of express, transporta-
tion and stage companies are de
rected TO be assessed in the county
where tho same 10 usually kept. ALI
vessels Of every class which are
by law required to be registered,
licensed or enrolled must be assessed and
the taxes thereon paid only in the
county where the owner or managing
owner or agent thereof resides, but such
interest shall only be taxed once. Vessels
registered out Of the state, but plying in
its waters and whose managing owners or
agents reside in this state must be assessed
to the value Of the share so held in the
county where such owner or agent resides.
Gas and water mains laid in streets or al
leys are held to be personal property.
The personal property of street railroad,
plank road, gravel road, turnpike or bridge
companies includes tracks, roads or
bridges. In all questions that may arise
under the act as to the proper place to list
personal property, it shall be determined
by the county board; and when between
different counties by the auditor of state.
When corporations list their entire prop
erty and stock for taxation, shareholders
do not need to list their stock for taxation.
The schedule prepared for personal prop
erty contains thirty-six divisions, and it
must be verified under oath. Every person
being Of age and sound mind must give a
list Of all properties, and it may be added
to by tho assessor, $50 that no property
shall escape assessment and taxation !"
The assessor is empowered to examine per.
sons under oath as to their property and
its value.
All personal and real property of mer-
camille corporations is treated the same as
those of individuals. Banks are required
to furnish . statement of paid up capital
stock, surplus and undivided profits, and
assessed less any. real estate. Foreign
banks and private bankers having no fixed
capital in the state are to be assessed on q
general average Of money used as exhib-
tied by their daily or monthly balance
sheets.
Railroad companies must file in each
county schedule showing the property
held for right-of-way in each county
each tract Of land, with the width and
length and the number Of acres thereof;
also the value Of Improvements and sta
tions. All lands occupied and claimed az
right-of-way must be assessed as real
estate with tracks, substructures and
representatives together. at SO much
Per esd m shall tn be zsIss in q Il. ,s
eral counties through which it runs in the
proportion that the length of the main
track in each county bears to the whole
length of the road in the state. All side
tracks, etc., are to be assessed to the
county in which they are located.
The provisions as to railroad, telegraph,
telephone and electric companies are
An important section is No. a, govern
ing life, fire and other Insurance COM
panies. It provides that they shall pay q
tax Of per cent. on all premiums collected
less the amount of losses paid. This COW
ers all taxes for stock or personal property
out not realty. which is to be taxed as all
other SUCH property.
A tax of mills per ton is imposed upon
every tom Of coal mined in the state.
Section forty-four requires that all prop
erty shall be assessed at its true and fair
value in money; and q separate standard
Of value is not to be accepted because it is
would bring at forced sale at auction L
not to be the criterion of value, but what
it would be sold for cash at q fair, volun-
tary valuation.
The duties of the county assessor are de-
fined at very considerable length, and the
responsibility fixed upon him by penal
bonds He is required to view personally,
or by deputy, every piece of property as
sessed, and in every possible way devisable
by statute, insure an absolutely full valua-
tion of all real estate and personal prop
erty.
Every person over 81 and under so is
subject to poll tax of 81, except volunteer
firemen. As an inducement to diligence
Ne
individual poll taxes collected.
County commissioners will, as hereto
fore, sit as a board of equalization, meet
ing on the first Monday in August. Asses
sors are to meet at the state capital yearly
in February, for the purpose of classifying
and formulating uniform schedule Of
personal property.
Another change of very great importance
in the method of collecting taxes is made.
The county treasurer is made the collector
of delinquent taxes, as under the laws oil
last session, but the delinquent penalty is
raised to 10 per cent, with interest at the
rate of 20 per cent. per annum. Without
delay after the list of March, the treasurer
must proceed to destrain. He.is made per.
eonally liable for taxes which are not col.
lected but are collectable.
Delinquent taxes with costs are lien
upon real estate and very elaborate pro-
vision is made that no record of sale OF
transfer can be made until they are settled
A rebate of 5 per cent. is allowed on all new
taxes paid before January 1 of each year
The Pennsylvania law is followed
pretty closely as to the sale of delinquent
property. Briefly, suit may be brought by
the county to recover, and If nc
defendant appears judgment may
be entered and sale follow as in ordinary
foreclosure proceedings. If there be
surplus over the taxes and costs it shall be
paid to the county treasurer and at any
time the surplus may be obtained on proof
of ownership. Two years is the outside
time for redemption in excepted cases.
THE AUTHORIZATION RTII