The daily morning Astorian. [volume] (Astoria, Oregon) 1883-1899, 1897-01-03
THE oREGoNIAN AND THE BOARD
OF EQUALIZATION.


The Oregonian is making serious
mistake in its attack upon the state
board of equalization for raising the
assessment of Multnomah county.
There can surely be no sane person in
Portland who doesn't know that that
city has always evaded its fair proper
ti0n Of the burden Of supporting the
state government; and whether the peo-
pie there realize it or not. the Asto-
rian has quietly 10 suggest to them that
ClatsOp-the only county singled out by
the oregonian for its abuse-is the last
county they want to have any row
with on that question. There are single
buildings in Portland which, It Is no
disparagement to Astoria to say, cost
nearly one-third Of the total value of
all the improved property in this city,
and which have been allowed for years
TO almost totally escape taxation be-
cause the people Of the balance Of the
state took a sort OF pride in Portland's
metrcpolitsnism. and were too public
spirited TO raise any fuss about it.
The day has gone by. however. when
The oppressed taxpayers Of Oregon can
longer afford to indulge any qualms of
that nature. Multnomah must and win
be made to walk up to the rack and
do her duty from this time forward.
Clatsop. and perhaps every other coun-
ty in the state. wants to get a'ong ami
cably with Portland. but as long as
Portland enjoys the distinction Of being
the largest city in the state. and is
thereby able TO exact a tribute from
nearly all other sections, she must
take the evil along with the good. and
pay her full share OF public taxation.
The difficulty with 2ortiand's people is
they have had their way so long,
and have become so accustomed to it.
that they are intolerant of the idea
that there is any other section of the
state outside of Multnomah county
whose rights they are in any way en-
titled to respect.
To show how little merit there is in
The puerfle complaint of the Oregonian
that Clatsop county is instigating a
Populistic vengeance against Portland
because she has got good deal Of
money while other portions OF the state
are poor and struggling. it is only ne
eessary 10 contrast Multnomah's as
AA n1V -
one just revised by the state board Of
equalization In 1895 the Multnomah
county board returned a total assess
ment Of s56,67S.1 109 which the state |
board. either through an excess of kind
Iy consideration for Portland, or for
some other less scrutable reason, re-
duced TO $52,S63, ,031-a difference Of 49,
S0,O7s. Clatsop county's board in the
same year returned A,45S,197, which
the state board reduced to 1886 S46-
leaving Clatsop's people TO pay just
about the amount of state taxes put by
the board in the pockets Of Portland's
rich property owners But now mark
the difference in 1896. The rolls show
that this year the Multnomah board
returned an assessment of s44,695, ,490: a
reduction made by themselves under
their return Of 1895 in the astounding
sum Of s11,S77619 Such remarkable de-
cadence in the short space Of twelve
months, even for an inland town like
Portland, is incredible. But the state
board merely increased this preposter-
ousIy low estimate to $50, ,659, 555, which,
1t viii be observed, after all the noise
the Oregonian has made about it, is
actually $4,013,5 ,554 less than it's own re-
turns of 1895. and S2O3,476 less than the
amount which the state board kindly
and voluntarily reduced Multnomahs
assessment to, and upon which her cit
izens gleefully and jubilantly paid their
state taxes for that year.
So far as the threat TO advertise As
tOria as a town which has declined in
its material wealth, according to the
estimate of its own Inhabitants" since
last year is concerned, II should be
borne in mind, in the first place, that |
the state board of equalization does
not perform the function Of assessing
the taxable property Of any county
that work being all done by a county |
officer elected and qualified for that es-
pecial purpose. What the board does
is merely to equalize the share Of state
taxes to be paid by each county; that
is to say, it is its duty to determine
what pro rata or proportion each ought
Justly to bear of the whole burden Of
state taxation. In order to do this fair
~ the state board necessarily has
authority to inspect the assessment
made by the assessor and passed upon,
revised, and approved by the local |