The Seattle post-intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, Wash. Terr. [Wash.]) 1888-1914, 1898-08-25
THINK THE TAX TOO HIGH.
General Satisfaction VIII Result.
However, III the Equitable Distrf-
button of Assessments Reduces
the Tax I~xy-~ome Interviews.

Merchants ard other business men o. tais
city coatinae - complain thai the ssssss-
ussnfs OF the King county board 90 equal
izaglon Were gu5usfiy high. There = a ger
erai feeling tha, tbs county is paying far
IL excess Of the taxes Of other onGn-
lies and Ear in excess Of SIS inst lax
ar equitable property valuation There are
men. however. who have suffered raise
In their assessment this year and W, feel
THAT he board OK equalization IS doing its
duty and striving 10 make The tax as even
~ distributes. and just as possible: that
this county Is paying higher taxes than
others. not because valuations here are sx-
csss.ye, bat because in other counties they
ara noc high enough.
The protests made by business men are
in many instances quite vigorous and there
is talk OF lax suit being brought which
shall compel a renewed consideration Of
Ehe assessment. Oae heavy properIy-own-
er said yesterday that the settlement o.
HIS assessment Was still pending aa1
would h. settled probably this week Tn
III he knew definitely what j, Was going
10 De. he dec.area himself unwilling ~
talk. "Bus after IL IS settled" he said.
significantly. 4 may have d few things
70 say" To sst the general trend % opin-
ion several representative men Were yes
sefday interviewed with the following ~
suit.
r Q. Graves. president Of the Washing
ton National hank-I know nothing az the
justice or injustice ~ the general assess
nicnf. bat know that in the case Of this
bank th,. levy has been much higher tnan
il should be. The law says that a bank
stock should be assessed according 10 rs
value in money That has not bssen done.
The assessment was based on the esti-
mate handed fhe comptroller of the cur
Fency. This does 40; represent the price
that could ne obtained in money FOR the
stock. II simply shows me banks assets
and liabilities ami 9.yes what We call
their book ysius They could not be sold
a. such A valuation Or anyw here near il
X. II, Spencer of the National Bank a.
conr2rrte--i consider the Assessment this
year more equable than ever before. though
II ~ the highest ever on our books. IN
previous years the banks have stood from
q 20 III per cent. more than their just
share of the tax levy. The general rails
ing % assessments on all industries IN the
city vii reduce tGt. levy. | thirk IL has
bt.en brought 10 As esi, BILE basis as pos
Sihie. Every dollar OF whatever deScrip-
tAcn, has been taxed. of course. the as
- ssnrnts are In many cases higher than
the actual selling Waite OF stock. bat
the whole. think the board 90 eQ11Ilza-
ton h4- acted oonscfent :ousiy and tried IT'S
best 20 secure 81 equalzed assessment.
Samuel Rosenberg. of Kline Il Rosenberg
II have juS' returned from The East and
am not YET well enough informed "a dis
ci4sss he matter GteIgeutly. ! understand
iAat my asses sane M has been raised fcr
what cause do not understand, II | find
that the general "a s~asSssnent Is equa5ie and
distributed against III classes OF business, |
SHAH ne; object 30 high valuation Oh my
own stock. Bat Il find shat I have beer
uaduly asSses ssed shall bring L ties. suii for
q reassessusn nj.
\ philosophical view CT the matter Is Ia
ken by F. Schmitz Of the Butler hotel.
We were raised si9c1' he said yas9eY-
day. but We are not kicking. We never
fy in the face Of the Law. The board OF
equalization - empowered 10 change The
properly valuation made by ;he assessor
The board chose 20 raise ours. | believe
ths members OF the board have done their
duty AZ they see it,
Another 81 .ssasd man is W E Mckee
the wel,-known saloon man. There may
be some complaint among ether men" he
said. "but have not heard Of Il. As for
me, am satisfied. though my assessment
was raised from 81. 20 70 saa was
called before the board and asked IL had
any objections 20 the raise. ] said: NO
do wtlat yoa think proper really believe
though. that have beer asseSsed more in
proportion than other saloon sien You
see, the value OF saloon fixtures depends on
the location and popularity Of the business
Fixtures that are worth several thousand
dollars in n well patroniz.d saloon. would
seil on the street a. auction FOR a sum
entirely dlsprororfinna.e 70 their value
Al saloon fixtures have. believe been as
sesssej at comparatively low figure"
g. O. Guy, the druggist enc of those
Vito were heavily raised, said: when my
assessment WAS advanced f. was repres.nt-
ed IN r'e that she sanas action had been
taken With all other hlIs.nessea and tina;
the RATE OF taxation would he very law
II the assessment has been equally ,iistr!h-
rt~i and TIE tax rate Is low shall be- SAT-
isstied. otherwise not. believe the rate
should not 60 this year over mills The
highest we ever had. X 7 -euissn Ter rightly
was - mills. Certainly +. will not an
preach that figure this year