The Wichita daily eagle. [volume] (Wichita, Kan.) 1890-1906, 1898-07-10
JESSE DUNN DEFIANT
Woods County's Attorney to
the Attorney General.
DENOUNCING TAX RAISE
And Equalization" That More
Than EquaIizes.

AlYa, 0. T, July SpeciaL)-Owing to
the great interest manifested all over the
territory in regard to the tax question and
the publication by the Eagle Of the com
munication OF Hon Harper S. Cunning
ham, attorney general OF the territory, 10
the different county attorneys over the
territory, the following open letter in re-
ply thereto. from the hand Of Jesse J.
Dunn. county attorney of Woods county,
Is OF interest. Mr.. Dunn writes;
Hon. Harper S. Cunningham. Attorney
General, Guthrie, Oklahoma Territory
Dear Sir:-Your favor of the 18th. ult,
came duly TO hand in which you requested
me to collect any Information which will
be OF use to this office in determining the
course 10 pursue with reference to the
above matter (the raise made by the ter
ritorlal board of equalization for 1870 in
your county, such as TO whether the board
of county commissioners have assume ed
TO compromise any cases upon an yother
basis than the amount fixed by the terri
torial board of equalization. or the throw
ing off or penalties in cases where suits
have been pending. etc"
In response thereto I beg 70 submit
the following as to the course We have
pursued in this county in the matter Of
these different raises.
The first raise was made in 1895 and in
Woods county it was a raise of 40 per cent.
This was prior TO my term as county at
torney bue a number of suits were institu-
ted by the individual tax payers Of the
county to restrain the collection of this
tax and they were all pending when I
took this office. Being convinced that the
raise was without warrant Of law. I have
in each instance confessed Judgment
therefor and thus relieved all who resist
ed payment thereof.
A number of claims for relief from this
raise were filed before the board of county
commissioners and l filed a written opin-
ion with them, upon being requested to
do so, holding that the raise was Illegal
and void. All of the tax warrants at that
time in the hands of the sheriff for the
collection of this raise we had returned
to the treasurer, the raise deducted, and
new warrants issued.
No raise was made in 1896.
In 1897 the territorial board Of equaliza-
ton raised this county Al per cent and 1
instituted a suit in the name of the ter
rtory on the relation of the county attOr-
ney enjoining the county clerk from ex-
tending the raise A perpetual injunction
was issued by Hon John L. MeAtee, and
the raise was not extended nor the tax
collected thereon.
This year, 1898, the property of this
county has been raised again by the ter
ritorial board of equalization and the
amount Of the raise is Sc per cent. a suit,
similar to the one OF 1897. mas been start
ed to enjoin the extension Of this raise
on the tax rolls.
The people of Woods county are for the
most part poor. They came here poor,
but there is no disposition among them
to avoid the payment of legal claim
which they may honestly owe. There Is
a universal feeling among them that these
raises are oppressive and unjust and that
as such they ought of right, be resisted.
There is not, however, any feeling that the
taxes. to support the territorial and other
municipal governments. fairly and equi-
tably assessed ought not to be paid. The
average rate of raise is about q 1-3 per
cent, while this county IS raised almost
three times the average. The entire ter
ritory is raised something over eight mill
ions or dollars. and of these eight mill
ions Woods county is raised more tnan
one A man who has $4,000 in this county
and lists it for taxation is required, under
this raise, to pay taxes on $4,000. Our
people are not able to call this "equaliza-
ton
At the time the raise" was certified &c
in this county our townships had all made
their levies, and the time has gone by in
which they could correct them II this
raise were now run on their property Il
would result in Sc per cent more taxes
than they desired 70 levy. In the case
Of the numerous judgments against town
ships. as there are in this county, instead
Of raising one-thlrd Of the judgment, here
would be Sc per cent more than one-third
raised in each instance.
Trusting that the above conveys 90 you
the information you seek. remain,
Very truly JESSE J. DUNN
County Attorney Of Woods County.