The Seattle post-intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, Wash. Terr. [Wash.]) 1888-1914, 1899-08-20
EVENING Up P|BlIc Taxes.
'ssenaDonts lnesoaoea IN Aboot l50
Cooeo-1ot - Many Suspected
Shortages - Last Yeoe-1so No-
tiess Sent Oua, Agaanse oAe TAen,

The Board OF EQuAli1ation Of Taxes has
been in session since August I, and will
continue until and including Saturday
next Untn then the board viii Be en-
gaged In Continuing the bearings Of citi-
sens who have been notified to show cause
Why their assessments should not be tn
creased About week ago these notices
were sent out to the number Of - and at
o'clock yesterday afternoon the board
had passed On about 10 Of them- In most
cases an increase was made In the assess-
ment. but occasionally one was reduced.
Omitting . few cases In which the al
teratton Was trining. the following IN
creases were made yesterday: Monterey
Liquor Co. from 80 10 ssee: Pacific Mat
Campbell = Co. - to $40: Carsten
Bros. H.sso 10 Ss.seo: Duwamtsh Milk Co.
u.eoo TO u.soo: Richmond Paper Co. $50
to d4oe0, ~. Seller Z Co, S9o0oe to 81. so;
Seattle City Railway. xS.SSo to $sS.o0oI Re-
ductions were made In the case Of Frank
Honeek from $40 to $50 and the QuonS
TOT Co. $50 to $50
The board yesterday reconsidered its
action. taken several days ago. in the
case Of Cooper & Levy. At that time their
assessment w1s Increased from $ee{io to
0AeoA Yesterday e was reduced to the
original figure.
The duties Of The heard involve a good
deal Of hard work and some unpleasant
features II b not an agreeable thing
to call up ones neiehbofs and ask them
II they have rendered Just returns Of
their taxable assets. but. under the law.
II has sometimes to be done. The board
Is cougratulating itself that this year the
number OF people summoned before II II
less than last year and that there has not
been 50 much trouble and friction Last
year there were nearly 100 notices sent out
while this year there were only 80. Then
there was trouble IN getting ct facts but
this year the respondents have generally
answered fairly to all questions and there
has been little complaint Of the action
taken.
OF course the board cannot reach an
exact estimate Of the value. say. Of .
stock OF goods in store and much Of it
is almost guess work. backed up by the
experience OF the members as business
men. II A and b are doing similar kinds
of business and apparently OF like volume
and there Is marked difference between
the assessment returned. the board feels
It duty TO summon the one with the
smallest assessment 70 show cause why
the amount should not be Increased. From
comparisons OF this kind, from their own
knowledge Of values or from any other
source Of Information the list OF possible
delinquents il made up. Before the board
the respondent II questioned and cross
questioned as to his business. the amount
Of insurance and other matters that may
throw light on the subject. Usually there
Is no attempt at evasion and the inquiry
is short, but some times a man appears
who In caught IN his own web OF misDtate-
ments.
In most cases assessments have been
increased. with now and then . reduction.
Clerk Wood has not figured up the A9gre-
gate OF increase up TO this time and the
total Increase will not be known TIL the
hearings are ended. The board this year
Is only considering the assessment on
personal property. the real estate values