The Seattle post-intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, Wash. Terr. [Wash.]) 1888-1914, 1894-03-10

The Tacoma Plunderers Are
Fighting Against Facts.
WHY TAXPAYERS Pm
PROTEST.


Duks hes slapped the boodlsrs in the face,
and hs will have TO hoe his own row -
mayoraisy candidatA He says In letter
70 the LEDGER
.spsrmis mo 70 deny through your col,
umns the report In the DaifH Nescs that
have purchased the Hornim9 Union Own
no interest IN that paper. 1 have never
thought OF buying pny interest In IL 1
have no money with which TO buy any IN
terest In any paper. / have never done
anything TO make II necessary iof 's !"
own any intersst in any newspaper.
Above all things the Iron Duke has
proved himself man Of few words. Dur
ing his administration he has sent only
coupls Of little trivial communications 20
che city council, aud now just when the
boodlers' iron Is hot, he strikes the mall on
the head.
Who has "dons anything 70 make It
necessary 10 own an interest in a news
paper?" Mr.. Boggs' political opponents
say no has bought the MorniHg Uaion.
Councilman Nash ID another man OF
very few words. He says: ut viii de-
pend upon who City Treasurer Boggs' sue
cessor 10. how much money he has on
hand" When Mr.. Boggs exhibits in coin
or currency tho money which he says he
has In the banks Of Tacoma, the tax
payer, will believe he has the 500. 600 or
more Of cash. which he reports, under
pressure, that he has on hand as the Gus
todian Of the city's funds Until Mr..
Boggs does mako an open and above
board showdown. the opinion will prevail
shat practically the Same conditions pre-
vail here as prevailed ct Seattle few
months ago.
Speaking for the boodIers. today's Ledger
Gays:
at true that taxes in Tacoma are higher
than they ought 60 DO In these hard fimes.
tut II Is not true that they amount 10 b
per cent. on every dollar invested. 1t is
not true that they are As high in Tacoma
~ In Seattle. The levy for last year for
sitv purposes was 10 mills. Ii IN the same
Cor this year. For 1891 IL was II mills and
for iso2 II was liz mills. The total Levy
for both city and county purposes this
year Is 23.s mills. while in Seattle 10 is 2s.s,
or moro than one-tifth greater. Our pres
ant city administration, which Seattle so
delights to libel. has not only reduced
taxes. but IL has conducted the city's busi-
ness by ievyine lower rate on de-
creased assessment. Tho assessment for
isg2. on which levy Of Tx mills was
nsds by the previous administration, was
1904. LAT, and the amount OF money thus
-aiscd was S4g5 352Go. The assessment
for last year was SAL. 553 4i0 and the levy
10 mills. which should have produced
faib, 5t3. 40. The assessment for the pres
tnt year is $36, COS. $50 and the rate is the
same. and as this levy. on account OF a
change in tho law, Is only for half wear.
tho sum produced will be only $l9i, 1914
Not only has the rate of taxation on de-
creased assessment been reduced. but the
administration has paid of the following
debts left by former administrations: For
the city hall, <62. 600; to the Northern Pa
cific railroad for grading Pacific avenue.
$4,000: for widening Center street, &f3 900;
for grading East ID street. So. 1000, aud has
paid also nearly $4,000 for sewer extern
sions. And having done all this IL will 60
out Of office leaving no hiiis unpaid"
simultaneously ii drops MIR. Huson Is .
candidate for mayor.
Taxes aggregate s per cent. OF the actual
value of Tacoma property, the boodlers to
the contrary notwithstanding. The Posi-
IxrrIIferscEa has stated thai the taxes
aggregate 5 per cent. of the value Of the
property taxed, and il has tho facts and
figures To prove IL. Furthermore the taxes
will go higher II the Republicans of the
city do not rise aud shake of the boodlers.
which the Ledger represents in the above
statement. Here are facts:
Outstanding warrants when the present
noodle administration came into power,
Sis0, e9a
Outstanding variants at the close of the
doodle administration, VIZ. 3Sg.
Amount necessary TO paw sl6o, 600, as
set forth by tho boodlers. s4aS.34l
Tha. is not all. Many bills have been
returned 10 the controller because the
hoodIers have drained tho treasury and
lef, no funds 10 pay them. There is no
money to pay current city expenses. No,
cent. Now about the alleged tax rcdue,
toni
Two years ago the outstanding warrant
indebtedness represented Is per cent oi
the present valuation.
Toaay's outstanding warran. indebted
ness represents over "a per cent. of the
present valuation.
And the present valuation Is 50 per cent
more than the actual value OF the prop
erty. and the taxes are taercfoTe S pei
cent. OF the real worth of the property
But this is for the city alone With iSs,
mills of .county and state taxes 10 add
arpreximating over -, per cent
there is total Of ; per cent, ever
at the inflated valuation. At fai
valuation such AZ In the basis OF taxation
in other counties ard cities In the state
the tax ra;e in Tacoma aud Pierce county
increasing pro rata as the valuation de
crosses. would aggregate mere than re
cent. What the taxpayers want, an,
what has not teen given. IS
fair valuation. so that in addition {,
Local taxes they will no, carry more ,ha.
their share Of the state taxation. For in
s,anee, Feed Mcsker has fsr,ps Of the sam
~. l.
taxes ia the former are 81 per cent. les
than III the latter. Henee, while TIA
mill levy per dollar may Re about al
same in both instances. the inflated vasu
atien. assessed tor she sake OF appearance
aud TO shield boedle,sm in Tscoms an.
Pierce county, whiIc catering tire val:
property holder bierds hsm far ssses a,
Fictitious valuation from which he derive
to revenue,
This community IS suffering from over
valuation. and every county IN the stat
knows II. 1T the bC0tisrs could keen a
the valuation, then they could - on roe
hing the city and make IL appear thAt n
levy IS not excessive. Bar even wlth O. L
mill levy Cor iSaa the aggregate Of exces
warrants IN reality equals another iAnl
tar. because those e8tstanss ng warrant
have got 10 ee nsid. More arraats xoul
rs issued, hns the legal simit having bee
reached prevents further 3-atn-
Taxpayers know bow IL Squire eat u =
taxes. even if the heoiiers do pes, asa -
taxpayers wiii smash the eooalsrs al a
municipal election. i0ss As teey ai3 nj. =
attic. Il they are given anything AXE
chance 10 get At the ira'a.
noodlers are the worst enemies of n