Rogue River courier. (Grants Pass, Or.) 1886-1927, 1901-03-21

/
next year, instead OF 80 mills as now,
they could by using proper system and
taxing at fair values find $1,000, ,000
worth OF property in Josephine county,
ami in some cases the lower tax levy |
would actually lower the tax for tax
payers who are now taxed as high as
eighty per cent OF selling values and
persons who ore taxed on values of one
fifth the selling price could be raised to
the selling price and not pay one dollar
more money into tie county treasury.
Josephine county spends $40 ,0o0, 900 a
year in round numbers, and the county |
officers fees amount TO over $4,000 which |
should be deducted so that with $1,000
900 Of assessed property a five mill tax
would bring us out even. II it were
possible to find $l0,000.000 worth Of
property in the county five mill taA
would bring in $4,000 year and $l5,.
900 year surplus would soon wipe out
all the Indebtedness. We should spend |
10000, a year on reads and bridges |
We could soon save $4,000 or interest by
being out OF debt. Our courts cost
$1,000 year and miscellaneous expenses
$4,000 and state tax will be $1,000. The
state tax levy has 81 but with 10000.
900 OF property 1920 would mean about
2, Of mill on the dollar.
Then the man owning mine could
borrow money on his mine at its
assessed value, aud the farmers OF his |
farm at its assessed value and the mer.
chant on his stock at its assessed value,
and the real estate owner or his real
estate at its assessed value and the rate
OF interest would be low, and enter
prises OF all kinds would flourish.
Ii our local organization, the Mining <
Commercial club, would interest itself
and back up the assessor to do his duty
and assess at fair values all the property
in the county, and back up the county
Judge and clerk aud assessor as an
equalizing board, so that they would do
their duty in equaliz ng assessments, net
because some interested individual came
in and made "kick" but based on
system where the values OF property
could be easily compared it would result
in renewed prosperity.
There is only one class OF prosperity
that cannot be assessed and that is
money, and it escapes everywhere and
all the time but you catch it in the note
and mortgage and by eliminating money
from the roll you lei the borrower get
his money at less rate OF interest.
This county needs capital and there is
much more argument IN favor OF not
taxing mining locations ard timber
lands.
This county should have six property
books: One containing every mine
and value OF its lands and improve
ments another contains all railroad and
timber lands comparative values;
another containing an real estate and
improvements outside OF towns; another
all town lots in towns, and the improve
ments another with all personal prop
erty in groups, with values aud owners
names. An equalizing board could then
act intelligently. From these property
books the assessor could make up the
tax roll and all the property OF the
county could appear and there would be
no omissions and no double assessments.
The assessor might earn under such
system, few hundred dollars more
each year than now, but the county
would be a gamer and sthe commercial !
interests Of the county be served as
never before.
l have written this article on the
theory that the majority Of the people
want to do what is right and favor taxes
being fair and equal. The assessor
should be provided with maps and
proper books in which to enter all prop
erty and should be backed up by the
people TO use his own judgement In
assessing according to the law as II Is,
and the equllzng board will have but
little troable with the valuations and
the tax roll will represent the wealth OF
the county and the tax levy be proper
tionably lower and money for loaning to
our people at a low rate OF interest be
easily obtained and Josephine county
and all Of Oregon would surge ahead
f..