The daily morning Astorian. [volume] (Astoria, Oregon) 1883-1899, 1894-01-09
MIR WINGATE spEAGs.
ne las Something to Say About the
oregonian's Charges.

j county by the state board of eoualiz.
e tion' and heaps abuse on the head I
, Mr. Wingate, especially. That centi,
MA" was interviewed by an Astorian rt
porter shortly after his return to tow,
anu asked If he contemplated replyin
- 'He attacks of the Oregonian
l 90 not think it would be any use,
ne said, for the simple reason tha
MI Scott would in all probability d
WIN any answer might write as he di
win the letter written from Salem b
the members of the board In defanse n
MI Lownsdale. A portion of that wa
suppressed, and only as much of
communication from me as would sui
'ne oregonians views would be allowe,
to appear"
But the Oregonian stated that wha,
'he members of the board were at tn,
motel Perkins last Thursday, they wer,
NOT inclined to talk said the reporter
LA you decline to be interviewed by
'ne reporters. Mr. Wlngate?"
never was approached by one OF
them' was the reply. 81 would have
been happy to talk all the Oregonlan de.
slred' and perhaps more, had I been in.
telViewed. might have stated that
last year, when claims for Indebtedness
were allowed, the Oregonian Publishing
Company paid taxes on $3.50, and Mr.
Dekum, who owned the property at the
corner of Third and Washington streets
ana much other valuable property in
Portland, paid no taxes whatever. That
was a fraud on the rest of the state.
OF which nothing was said by the Port
land people,"
You are charged with harboring ILL
feeling against Portland and Multno-
nah county, Mr.. Wingate. How do you
account for that?" asked the reporter.
THAT has the same foundation as the
statement Of a gentleman in Portland
that l am not citizen of the United
States-none whatever. Although have
lived twenty years in Oregon, 1 have
not been a resident sufficiently long to
become imbued with the feeling of bit
terness toward Portland that some
Portland people, including Mr..
Scott, Senator Corbett, D. p.
Thompson, and Mr. Lownsdale have
toward Clatsop county and Astoria.
am neither an anarchist nor follower
of Pennoyer, and have been actuated
simply by a desire to act fairly, and
net even the Oregonian could coerce me
into acting in a manner which would
have been manifestly unfair to the rest
Of the state. l would like to see Multi
nomah prosper, and the greater Port
and becomes the better it will suit me,
but when any one compares Portland
town lots to those of Astoria, he lays
limself open to the charge of being a
donkey or else a knave."
How did the majority of the board
'eceive the statements of Senator Cor
,ett and Mr.. Thompson that an unjust
,ut had been made in the assessment
If Clatsop county?" Mr.. Wingate was
lsked.
For just what it was worth Those |
gentlemen enormously assumed that |
I, g II.
leen to Astoria, but unfortunately for /
he success of their scheme, the mem !
,ers of the board were possessed OF |
more information and intelligence than
hey We're give ncredit for, and although !
We have been referred to as a lot OF |
anchers incapable of judging values, |
here were some of us on the board who |
re just as good business men as Mr.. |
scott The same feeling which was
hown by Mr.. Corbett, Mr., Thompson,
nd the Oregonian, was manifested by !
DR.. Lownsdale, who wanted to increase
aluations in all the counties in the
istriat represented by mt. Probably
ad the times not been so dull, there
rould have been an increase of at least
0 per cent in Multnomah's valuation.
AXE, for instance, the taxes paid by
hat county on money On that item is
laced a valuation of $1,SO6,S25, and on
otes and accounts, S2,152,94O. Certain
v a valuation of $5O,OOO,OOO would be
1ore nearly correct. And then there
re no shares Of stock,
According to the assessment as
1ualized," continued Mr.. Wingate, AS
,ria is the second city in oregon in the
alue of her town lots, and any man
rith the least grain of common sense
nows that the real circumstances do
Of warrant the assumption, AS an in
lance of holg Portland property is as
,ssed. might quote the Perkins hotel,
hat huilding has a valuation Of $45,000
laced upon il, and the two lots upon
.bicb Il stands $4,000 each; while the
lavel building, and one lot, in this
ty pays taxes on valuation OF S25'5oO.
urelv there Is no equality there
"It was said in Portland Mr. WIN
ate. that you are foreigner and not
citizen Of the United States, Don't you
ish to say something on that pointT'
vWen." was the rejoinder Il must
ead guilty to having been born on
reign soil, but have been in this
,untry for twenty-seven years and
,nsider myself pretty good citizen of
% I-nited States. Yes" be concluded,
I was born in the land o cakes and
m proud Of it