The Seattle post-intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, Wash. Terr. [Wash.]) 1888-1914, 1898-08-23

'ofs the market, anywhere near It's invgn-
'ofy value We carry. ard 80 does every
ot1eT gaSsssag concern IN tie es.y goods
n stock tsaf airs practically vaia9ixss 20
~ Eaes may liz or the sh~tves for years
nE.snsa. nzSt ge mus Raage tE7esG az aand
X cali II ever made sox sEsm.
Last year We were assessed a. See
fEsk year Sae 4sS%sscr cane 10 ms and
stated that sreshsr large firm In the came
.iia@ ~ business Eas asses4@d = s-5.sa.
he wanted 80 krdw Il we were warth that
n1sh- We answers. that we asa not OH
JET 20 these agsrss fer ourselves also But
tsaa Assessor. without glylng sas al oppor-
snnisy 10 make a Showing. brushed c1r
statement aside AMI vata@d cur stock 81
slo9.gya. And when ire board Of ec,aaIiza-
ton met !, pat on another -. fss, We pro-
tested against tiiss second raise. and she
ncard kraeEet: CT tfe.9u. leaving rs At
slIg,sa''
). e. Hicks. manager % the scaw abacaer
HARDWARE Company. was unwilling Ia dis
eazs the matter OF tlas issaTi of eauaifza-
tons work at any length. All he would
say wax:
NJhsre IL no question that the board Of
equalization did ali IL could for us. oar
assessment is naw aH hsga as II possibly
cs'ula ise. There ia no Justice IN the pres
ent system OF tax asse sssIilesats. The coan-
q employs a man az s. a dag 10 assess the
ton meets and. tiisrsgarding The assess
or's work entirely. makes TIE assessments
whatever /. peasGs. 1t d!a tie best 1t
eQUsia for US"
The 5-s;p lsasher Hardware Company
was raised from siEen, 10 sIio.aso by the
board VI equalization.
Ths AaeIgougasl IL Southwsck Company
MAS one Of tire large firms 10 TO raised by
the board OF equalization Their assess
sneng Was put up from ss5.s. 20 .,sl, 90.
]. r. ARcDoseail. tie president Of the
company. is inclined To take tie matter
phliosopiaically. blif thinks that the coaint@
might Top or little expense b. making
sbe hoard or equalization the whole sho&''
and dispensing with the assessor entirely.
He thinks that ali the merchants were not
equally assessed 10y the board. .but would
not complain 50 stFenu0usiy agsins. the
Increased assessment IL /. were made he
SAYS. etig'taDiyF.
Commissioners Atckerson Talks.
County Commissioner Nickerson whose
long experience III county affairs has made
him an authority when asked Allat de-
Tense the late board OF equalization had TO
make against tn. complaints If the bust
uess men regarding alleged oveyyalua lions
and Determinations. said:
Il don't know that we have any thing 10
say In defense of action. We did our
best 10 carry cat the provisions az the law
and are satisfied Ia stand upon oGr record.
IT Is possible that we have made some
mistakes. Probably wa have. We cannot
claim 10 b. infallble but We have inteu-
tionaiIy wrpnged no tax payer As 10 the
complaint that King county pays a large
share Of the taxes of the state, that Is
tfgte;. bar 10 say that Scaftte's personal
property valuation ~ toe large Is not just.
Ia my mind The personal property ysiua-
ton OF Spokane last year was Si.ysi tssl
larger than that OF Seattle. And Spokane
Is a much smaller city
LAS 20 the complaint that owners Of real
estate are favored in taxation, that Is
matter that looks different according 10
tie point OF yte~. Every real estate own
or thinks the valuation pu, on his property
is tfs ASSESSOR t. rxorDIIaflt and ciauiDTs
FOR au Increase of the valuation " per
saral property. And the owner Of persona
property MAKES the ~ ne complaint re
gaFiing real property valuations. All com
ptslntz on either score are Influenced a. 4.
rule. rs selfish motives. Personally.
know that q CREST deal Of King county rta,
estate Is assessed fer far more thar u
wuliid bring If sold under the hammer
Councilman James. j ennber OF the late
board Is wsii satisfied with is work. ii,
says that The King county board was tho
only cae IN the state to his knowledge THAI
made thorough examination and cpFfeg-
ton ~ the assessors returns.
NTH regard - the complaint that - a
property values were no. in'erfsresi with
this year. II is explained by she late board
nf equalization that tie law provides rnaf
the assessment OF real property made III
IygT saall stand mp,il 1880 unchanged and
that a eeassessIuers; shall be made every
two years thereafter. The board sougat
advice and was Informed 10y Prosecuting
Attorney AcElrov that IL would have 10
authority to change real estate valuations
shis year. This advice was followed.