The Seattle post-intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, Wash. Terr. [Wash.]) 1888-1914, 1898-08-26
CUT DOWN THE ASSESSMENT
7OpTLlsT BOARD OF CHEHALts
COUNTY MAKES REDUCTIONS.
TWENTY-FIVE Per Cent Taken On All
Real Estate I'm County. Which
Cufs Down n. r. Assessment Near
o.artex Of n MfiIfon Dollars.

sv.aessI rs.spatet 10 the Pos.-TnfeiIgsncef'
goSTEsaSo, Aug. ss.-T1e following
order was made by the board CO county
commissioners Of this county, waiis az
sisg as a heard OF equalization for tax
asseSHnans OF 1855:
81. In hereby ordered TIA. 'hs auditor
reduce the assessed valuation! G. earn
and every Ios, piece or p1scei OF feai
srsase In cneisaiss county as snowe %
TIE asSezsssseu; roll 81 isss, row on Tia IN
che auditors Office. e per cent. FOR Inc
~.assn tha. the board believes s1ch re-
duetlan to be true and lair sa+uA't0'
thereof y. r. Carson.
CHARLES M'TNTYkE.
"a. II. KENNEDY,
Tie arst consequences OF the above is the
refusal OF .ss present assessor 10 again be
a candidate Cor the office. He has pun
ncfy announced. bcta In personal inter
views aud through ira Po5ulist press. that
under tia circumstances be would positive
~ refuse 20 be candidate.
HE friends are highly Indignant over the
action taken and are threatening VEN
xssacs agains, those Interested, and awear
that they will get even at the polls with
taos. wao iustlsated The action OK tAs
coiara. seioneIs.
TIA assessor was elected Oh the Popu-
Gs. :ickss and was Pledged To carry out
the Popuiist pledges regarding asAess-
nenfa There were during tile last cam
ra.gn charges made by his party leaders
,n the county that the larger corporations
had been aseapir1g their fair gf'are OF coan~
~ expenses. through being favored By
Republican officers, and that II their can
&fst;s
be assessed equally With other taxpayers.
The assessor tried faithfully TO carry out
the pledges under which he was elected.
and Il IL almost universally admitted IN
tho county tina; he has acted honestly and
censoianfio usly in doing his work. but tho
taxes last year were higher than they had
been Tor years, arA~thLs Is the statement
OF Populist friends OF .hs assessor--'hers
was such a howl over tho Increased taxes
that the party leaders Rad to have scape-
goat. 80 they took thu assessor. and will
explain that the increased taxes are owing
10 the fact taa. their assessor did not
know how 10 assess.
As w..i be seen, the order Is only for Il
selaction Oh the "reai estate AS the
real estate and the improvements on the
same are separately valued. Il would GER
taisly seem that no reduction can be made.
under the order. on any OF the Improve
merits, but thar the reduction must come
wholly on the land Itself II that be the
ease. and the auditor has stated that that
was his Interpretation OF the order, the
residents OF the county viii have TO bear
a uiuoh greater share OF the burdens OF
government than ever before. ard they
have always paid tho greater share. The
reduction on the Northern Pacific Rail-
way Comrany's real estate alone Will
amount To over $1,000. and as the Popu-
list party haa been continually asking that
the company be assessed higher than Il
was, that phase of tho questions is raising
trouble III the camp OF the Populis, party
Another side OF tho question which Is
receiving considerable attention is the
proposition that the board OF county COM
Hlssioners. while Sitting as the board of
equalization, can only equaiize the assess
fnenfs; they cannot legally make an en-
TREY Different assessment tfhn that made
BY ine officer whom tho law desgnates as
Tho one TO assess and value property for
tax purposes. II this proposition should
prove correct. there L. every prohab ility
that larger corporations Will refuse 10 pay
their taxes.
Tho action OF the board has aroused
more general comment and interest than
any action ever before taken by any Of
the commissioners OF this county
On the part OF the commissioners they
claim that there was d general demand
made that such action he taken. and that
they otiiy acted In Difference to the ex-
pressed wishes OF their constituents.