The Seattle post-intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, Wash. Terr. [Wash.]) 1888-1914, 1898-10-17
Totals


Saving made D. s31.ican
taeqs " -.........G33 40 -
Accepting tAe reIba ~a aauraa @. the
Popu.ts's taat she savag IL The county
aas sl1.3l31s. xqlag rs Republican leg
stature credit fsg re14eisg IS salaries u
county oI.esrs e. eo. and a,vlEg 81 .ge
3renta eyst..t for ya68c,nE TIA expenses
HOS, &, IS seer 1aa, tde Republicans
are enutla4 - creH. foC saving }l-fa5 s.
Il tho g. .3sats Tas real poqgi.st saving.
aitn a.. a TIC county machinery, was
therefore only ts.41..7s. wiai.e tire real Re
publican sasIes vita one Judge on ;ne
bench waa Ei-.E5.A.
fl this Popullst document * Sc stated
ast she TAX leyy has been rsduced from
~ mills 70 ia.10 mills. Bu. The authors
sali u cal attention 10 Tire facl mat the
ofai amount OF money raised from the
gslzena of tyaLa Wai.4 county under each
evy ia almost ere same. the levy ~ l.es~s5
producing Il6se&1 - aa1 the levy Of 1888
Producing 1is4sf3 Il. ST Increase over 1880
i OF ssf25s IL order that this De properly
understood. Il IS necessary To explain Inat
.ae assessoy IT, his work THIS yeAr
essea 2iail acres 4ess u improved lands
nd slss4 acres more ot un.mproved lands
hat tha assessed value If lands was de-
reased tlal-s1. the value of city lots and
improvements increased }lt9,a85. aaa the
mount OF personal property increased
sg1l Il Is safe ~ say that the popu!a-
non or Walia Walla county has not In
reased IN q ratio to corresnond with the
increased assessment ~ 'hf belongings.
md that. therefore, is.z9
ugils On tne Increased *s4--.i.i- tn
seality. about as great ~ tax lst< q
80 mills on lesser valuation % 2e
3tne property.
The report further shows that with this
TX levy OF 1878 the county commission
rs were able 10 reduce the county debt
a ess.53- The commissioners are Of the
anne faith as those who conducted the
n.lra in ls:s1-sf and yet the latter were
nabie 10 make any tangible reduction.
This fact leads Ia the question: Why
I'D not the commissioners OF lss5-96 reduce
re county debt? Admitting that tll.si5.5a
rIore was expended by them. there is left
81 l2igs which might have been applied
o reduction o. IN, debt. They did not
% 80, and The reason they did not. and
heir successors did reduce the dent Is
sslnd in the report Of thc Republican
.reasurer-who served both years-wh0
avs tnat in iS3,-9S the taxpayers were
ole to pay into the treasury 81. ESQ IL
aore than they did in 1896.
Ilperyone knows that the laws passed
" the pognlilsi iuxtsla cure had as little 10
% with The ability Of the people Ia pay
axes In IS91-Je as the same laws had 10
7, with the prCee ssion OF the seasons. The
.giiiity 10 pay was the result of the TIL
uiph Of the national Republican party In
$751; the scotchins az free silver ard Pop
IliSm. the passage 0. the piagiey law and
me wise, patriotic American adminisJra-
Jon Of William Mckinley. That was the
triumph which started the wheels in thous-
nds Of Idle ml..s aud factories dsblnied
toxey'a army. made i nome market for
asst guam tits OF farm produce. ard sent
,oroad during the fiTsa year OF Mr.. Mckin-
sy's administration, IL be paid Tor IL god,
SIS ct. 800 worth more OF tie products 81
American farms uIaeA. mills and factor-
les than we're exchanged for the produce
af foreign soils and labor. This change
reached ;ha Walia Walta valley. and made
+, possible TOR is inhabitants g. pay over
ao-th3fds of their annual tax levy. some
tutng they had Rot been able 10 do un-
ier A Democratic administration of the
national government Il wAS not tae care.
11ouomy ANA legislation uf ,he Hoguiist
county commissioners. officials. legislature
ma executive ma.cn made L possible for
hem 20 60 80.
J. HOWARD WATSON.