The Houston daily post. [volume] (Houston, Tex.) 1886-1903, 1901-02-24

Low Valuation in Property for Taxa.
ton at Portland, Oregon.
INFORMATION OBTAINED BY c.LOMBAUDI
At the Request Of Mr.. George L. Porter
Of Houston, He Secures Some Valua-
bic Tax Statistics.
10 tho Editor Of The Post.

10 the Editor Of The Post.
Houston, Texas, February 23.-Our for
mer townsman, c. Lombard sent me the
Inciosed statistical information from Port
land Ore. where he now resides
thought possibly portions of 1t would
be of interest to your paper and your read
ers, II properly complied and published
One thing that Portland has Is an inhu-
entail taxpayers association. Also very
low valuation on its property for taxation
and very large area OF territory in It's
corporate limits. Yours truly;
The letter referred to by Mr.. Porter In
the above Is as follows
Mir. G. lombard. care Mutual Warehouse
Company, Z First Street, City.
Portland Ore, January 30.-My Denr Mr..
Lombardi Enclosed | return to you letter
Of Mr. George l.. Porter and would an
swer his questions as follows:
/. " hat is your total tax rutef State,
county and city per 500? A. In our tax
levy 1t Is expressed by mills on the dol
lar, and last year was rs follows:
stare OBSERVATION-DISCLOSURES. 90 mills
state school taxes ...,........... 90 mills
county taxes ......'.'....-.'... ~ mus
hoau taxes ....:. ............... ~ lnllls
Port or Portland ....,......,.... 10 mills
City Of Portland ,,,.,.....,.,... so mills
School district No. i ............. A. 5 mills
Making a total of ..........3 6. 0 mills
This year special levy for the RELIEF
of the city of mills and Il levy of Y inll
for our new park commission will in
crease this total at least that extent.
You will notice curious incorporation
in our taxes III that the State and county
taxes are very large ana the city tuXcs are
very small, The ordinary proportion In
taxes is ouchalt Of the total tax levy for
the State and county and one-half for tile
city.
:. Do you pay special taxes? and IL so,
how much SlUbi
A. The special taxes are specified in the
foregoing list, and know OF no others.
.. Is cost Of paving, etc. charged to
A. Yes. except that there is II provision
for slight repairs out OF the general funds.
i. What is the area of yonr city limits
in squire niles
a. Thirty-niue and half square mites
). What Is the bonded debt OF your city,
A. Five million. ionr hundred and scy-
enty-eight thousand, eight hundred ana
thlrty-thrcc dollars and ak cents, on this
S31J0,O00 are water works bonds which are
carried hy the water rates.
pupula tion.-1he population of the city,
according 10 the last census was 80, 400. In
cluding suburbs which properly belong to
the city, it would be In ronnd numbers
Assessed value Of the property for taxes
Is S295j2,2D, and the floating debt Is
about sl2, 1OBg 90 while balances remaining
in special funds are OF course many times
this, hut I can not state now exactly just
how much this money on hand Is Tue
assessed valuation Of the property is ~
no SENSE "A correct statement of the actual
values. Owing to the fact that the state
taxes are apportloncd to the different coun-
ties In proportion TO their tqXable prop
crty there has grown up rJcc between
our county assessors 10 cut down the as.
scsspd valuation TO the lowest possible
figure with the idea Of in this way eyading
SR nuch Of the State taxes as possible In
this race think the county Of Mutnomah
has not been foremost. Nevertheless the
result Is that income paving real property
IN the city proper is probably assessed for