The Seattle post-intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, Wash. Terr. [Wash.]) 1888-1914, 1897-10-10

BY an error in either the county audi
tors Office or one made by the state board
Of equalization King county taxpayers
this year viii lose just s. s7o.s7. They are
going 70 be forced 10 pay q double tax on
s., eSS.27o. the aggregate eaualized valuation
Of railroad track in King county.
3. A. Knapp. the assistant county audi
tor. either made mistake in sending his
figures OF the assessment 10 the state
board. or else the latter miscalculated his
computations. Exactly who is 10 blame
is not known yet; each says the other is
the cause Of the error.
The mistake was made on so exceedingly
simple an affair that these who are up in
figures wonder how it could nave happened
at all. Il MAS discovered by the comm.s-
sioners yesterday when they were getting
ready 10 fix the levy. II seems that Knapp
was supplied by the state board with a
blank form on watch he vas 10 enter the
valuations OF King county property as
found by the county equalizers. Among
these amounts so furnished on the blank
headed Abstract OF Assessment Of Real
Property were the following:
Aggregate value OF lands. including i'm
provements. as equalized, $1l.Sls,SI6;
Aggregate equalized value of town or
city lots. including improvements, So
T92, sos:
Aggregate equalized value Of all real
property. including improvements, except
railroad track" S25 o23.6l2;
Aggregate equalized value OF railroad
track" S2,oSS. go:
Aggregate equal.zed value OF real estate
and railroad track S37.1u.SS2.
In the first two amounts was included
the s., 0SS, go, railroad track" assessment.
but the state board either did not know
ii or purposely added il again. for IL has
been placed in the total as though II were
not mentioned previously.
Chairman Ryan said yesterday that ne
and Prosecuting Attorney McElroy were
at the meeting of the state board. but the
mistake was not noticed ar that time 1t
is a matter between Knapp and the state
board said Mr.. Ryan. Either Knapp
made a mistake in sending his figures 10
the state board, or the latter made mis-
take in computing Knapp's figures. That
s.. 0SS. go placed on a line by itself was
simply a segregation OF the totals SISl9,-
$40 and $25. 1872. sos. and should In no way
be added to them, as II had been counted
before. / think the state board is not SUI
ficiently clear in IT'S forms; they are easily
liable 10 be misunderstood.
There are two bases for our taxation:
One for the county and one for the state.
We fix the total valuation for county pur-
poses. without regard to the state board
OF equaliza ton. This double payment Will
be made for state purposes only"
Even IL this last statement should be
correct the loss % county taxpayers
would be sl1,sl7,55 figuring at the levy of
.0057O69 on a valuation of siS,66S.75S. as
adopted. But it is generally considered
that the double taxation will be at the
regular 11-mill rate.
Commissioner Nickerson said that the
taxpayers would have no recourse in the
courts against this double payment as
the state board would claim that King
county had 10 pay so much money, any
way. and it made no difference how the
taxes were apportioned.
b. A. Knapp could not be found last
night for his statement.