The Seattle post-intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, Wash. Terr. [Wash.]) 1888-1914, 1895-09-20
Too High, County Officers Tell
State Equalizing Board.
OTHER COUNTIES NEED RAISING
Wakefield, Elma Banker, Held for
Trial in Superior Court.
1 PRESIDENT Allen, ofthe Bank ofTacoma,
Sued on His SIC, 900 stock subscrip-
rion Note FTaud Alleged in Cascade
Oatmeal Mortgage Transfer.

Olympia Sept -Spec3al-About three
quarters q an hour was consumed today
ty County Comna.ss .0ne-s IIeat0n ana
Nlcsersou and Assessor Abr2haras IN pre-
sentlng King c0unty's case before the state
board o. equalization. In opening, the as
SCISSOR said he felt reasonably well salts
fed with the assessment ne had made lie
had endeav0red 10 1--we up 70 the true
values in the county. The Chamber OF
Commerce had waited upon him before
the work OF assessment was commenced,
and wanted a 81 per ce... cut this year.
IN order % ne on a bass with other coun-
ties The assessor replied tGat IL wousd
he % tae interest 0f King county 10 make
a far ass sssment, ard tire state board
would la inclined 20 deal fairly He felt.
however thar some OF the other counties
were assessed too low. The assessor of
Pierce county had evidently made the
values on Improvements higher than N
hIns and there seemed 20 be a misuDdeF-
sfanG.ng on loe part OF assessors in differ
eat parts of the state. Each seemed %
nave proceeded according 10 his own .dea,
without reference ID Other counties.
NJ. Heaton sad in part: Il think e IS
my duty 20 oaN your attention 10 some af
the comparisons from figures + me board
OF comm -Sst-ueTs. The difference in as
sessments is radical as between the coun-
Ties Of the east and west especially IN
improvements East Of the mountains i'm
provements are lower than on the west
side. l believe assessors often assess i'm
pFoNements not at their actual value. Dut
more particularly AT what they cost. Their
rea! value Is not their cost. The people on
the east side. ! think, believe that by re-
turning lower assessments they may es-
cape part Of the taxation. We or West
ern Washington have hat of necessity To
80 10 considerable expense in the way Of
improvements. the cost Of which has been
enormous and the returns from which
have not been 50 great as an Eastern
Washington. ! believe il was d laudable
motive on the part Of the assessor OF King
county 10 retarn full. true ard just as-
sessment. I believe that, for state eX-
peuses, under the statutes, the assessment
as returned by the assessors of the differ
ent counties are not necessarily a criterion
10 be governed hy IN equalzng assess
ments King county has only about one
tarteth OF the acreage, and in improved
acre,ge only about one-s.Ntieth Of the
whole state, according % the returns to-
day. II King county stands as today she
VIII have 10 bear over one-aflh Of the en-
tire governmental expenses Of the state.
! would cali your attention to the fact
that while our people are always willing
to bear their just proportion OF the eX-
pense Of the state. they DO not think they
ought 70 bear Oue-ffth or Pierce one
=
pelIea 20 bear not more than one-e.ghth
0f the entire state tax
Regarding the valuation Of horses. Mr..
Heaton sad that, according 10 last years
reports. She horses Of Eastern Washing
ton were assessed lower than in Western
Washington. although the quality Of
horses on this side was inferior TO that of
those Oh the east side of the mountains.
and PIERCE and King counties should pay
a smaller proportion OF the taxes of this
state than last year. The ma jority Of our
PEOPLE. said Hear0n. have applduded our
assessor for the assessment made this
Ne1r in order 10 keep our credit zap, though
IL Is too high compared vith other Coua-
ties. our proportion heretofore was great
e. than we should have borne. The Couu-
ties seem 20 be placing their returns at
lower figure ID order 10 mlsleai this board.
but we have assessed Al oar trga value
Nir. N.ckeTSou reiterated many facts al
ready stated and made comparisons II
average values as returned hy county as
SCISSORS this year 70 show the inequality
Of tie assessments. lie stated that ac-
Cordng 20 the returns the large counties
OF Pierce and King would pay nearly
cue-thtri n the state taxes. Proceeding.
the commissioner said Il did Tot cost 50
much 20 prepare land for cultivation IN
Eastern Washington as in the western
portion. oar figures are too h.gh and theirs
ten low. With Increased a0i decreased
values ss returned by assessors the state
board would have 10 deal King county's
assessment had not been made w.fh v3cw
% escaping Tho burden of taxation aut ne
have tsdaav1rei 80 hr fair with the state
board and fair with ourselves
j. conclusion .t was stated bv ONE .e0-
resentat-va 'hat King co.utys plated
property had been assessed ~ minimum
~ fla lof. ara Assessor Abraham SAID
he wanted people - yaca,e ta.s class II
property
Tre state board made 'hs anrall.- mess.
'-u srt that Tct<a4v. t.e 14.n. vas -.
lt-t asr urr- w.l frrE would hrar