The morning Astorian. [volume] (Astoria, Oregon) 1899-1930, 1901-10-05
COUNTY COURT FIXES
TIMBER VALUATIONS
At ADVANCED FIGURE
Land sloplng on the Columbia River Is
Assessed al 81 and Other Land
at $3.50 an Acre.

! The county court yesterday finished
consideration of the 1901 assessment roll.
Throughout this entire afternoon the
members Of the court and the timber
land owners werc In conference. and
az the Adjournment OF the meeting Il
was announced that the figures Of As
! sessor Carnahan had been reduced about
ono halt
The new assessment agreed upon by
Judge Gray and the commissioners
Ia as follows: For land sloping toward
the Columbia river. 50 an acre; FOR land
sloping back from he Columbia. 1850
an acre. Last years figures for tim
Der lands were $40 and ii.75 an acre.
~ the increase over the old Assessment,
IL heavy one.
After the conference with the timber
men the members OF the eour, took 10
consideration Of the matter. and there
was some difference Of opinion. Judge
Gray wanted to make the figures 81
and s.. bu, hnally as a compromise
proposal. agreed 70 hx the assessments
AZ 1875 and i27S, This was % cents
more IN each case than the figures pre-
sented by Commlssloners Young and
Peterson. who declined 10 agree 10 those
favored by Judge Gray. The assess
ments were fixed BY vote Of the COM
mIssloners, Judge Gray holding out for
81 % and i27s.
Mr.. Peterson explained the attitude Of
himself and Commissioner Young In
conversation with an AstoriAn man. He
said:
The figures OF Assessor Carnahan-
81. IS. 80 and I7-were. we believed. too
high. Las; years assessments were on
ly $40 and Sis. and We believed that
the increase should not be greater than
rs Der cent Accordingly, We ceitled on
81 for ,he most valuable lani and $3.50
for that lying back Of the city, Fur
ther increases may be made next year.
but 90 Increase valuations 800 or 400 per
cen, IN one year was, We believed. hard
ly reasonable"
The total valuation Tor 1900 was 81
6S7. 7.254. The roll compiled by Assessor
Carnahan for 1901 aggregated s2lSS,OoO
In round numbers While It Is difficult
to make an exact estimate Of the effec,
of the courts action. II Is though; by
the members Of the court that the In
crease on timber lands will amount 10
fully s225.OOO, This would bring up the
total roll to .2sl2254. or &2S5,OOO less
han the roll compiled by Assessor Car
nahan.
Representatives OF nearly 5000 acres
Of land were present at the meeting OF
the court yesterday, and expressed
themselves as being very well satisfied
with the assessments Indeed. one
owner Of Clatsop timber land wrote the
cour, that he would be satisfied with
even a greater assessment
Some amusing arguments are said to
have been used by the owners who
contended thar greatly increased as
sessment would have the effect OF trigh-
tenlng holders. with the result that they
would not build mills here but take
their logs to Portland, In view OF the
fact tina, export lumber ready FOR ship
ment costs lower river mills from IS
cents TO 81 a thousand feet less than the
cost to the Portland mills. aud lumber
for Eastern shipment from 80 to 50 cents
a thousand less, this contention OF the
owners probably had little influence.
II has been estimated that the amount
OF money required for county purposes
this wear viii be about $4,000. Last
year the amount needed was S45,OeO on
the estimated s2,Si2.OOO valuation. a H.
mill levy viii raise an amount sufficient
to meet running expenses, Last years
levy was II mills so this years reduc-
tion will be a material one.