Washington standard. [volume] (Olympia, Wash. Territory) 1860-1921, 1901-10-11
SOME FACTS AND FIGURES.
IELM, Wash, Oct. Z, 1901.

lEI.M, Wash, Oct. I, 1901.
ED. STANDARD:
The corporations are ahead again as
usual. The equalization board have
"done the thing up in rag and tied a
cob around it," and the people are left
to foot the bill. Well, poor devils,
guess they deserve it after knocking
out their best friends and reinstating
the horde of hooters known as the
d. o. p.
Let us look at the figures: Amount
required to be raised by direct taxa
ton, 81 ,9S6O97; this is an excess over
last year of S465, 666; valuation of
land, $13l ,43O,O7O; equalized by board i,
Sal 1903, O42, an increase of s per cent.
Valuation of improvements on land,
town and city lots, fixed by county
boards at $4O,699, 42S; equalized by
board, $49, 734 ,529, an incre of 90
per cent.
Valuation of personal property fixed
by county board at SAT 1856 ,997; equal.
lied by State board to $54, 800 800, an
increase of Is per cent.
Now for the corporation pets: Val.
uation of railroad tracks, fixed BY
county board at $l6,2l3.325; equal.
lied by State board at $l6,473,1 $50, in
crease of one-sixth of one per cent
Do you see the cat?
OF course you do; you can't help it.
Our excellent board has done its duty
to the moguls; no sane man will
dispute it. While the assessment on
the public in general has been raised
on an average ID per cent, the assess.
ment on the corporation pets has been
raised one-sixth of one per cent.
Grand scheme, isn't it? According to
the best information l can get, the
entire railway mileage in Washington
is in the hands Of three companies ::
the N. p. G. N. and U. P. The N. P.
has 1856, 100000 of stock and $685.
600 600 in bonds, a total of 1888, OOO,.
OOO OF income-paying securities based
on 3, 467 miles of road or $7S,914 per
mile. Sixty per cent. of this as ap.
piled to this property would make
SAT ,34S per mile for taxation, and vet
they are assessed for only about sc, 600
per mile, less than one-seventh of its
taxable value.
say, do you see the cat?
Again, the G. N. railway has $685.
O0O, 900 of stock and $780, OO,OO in
bonds. It's various securities represent
1928 600, 900 OF real values based on
5,41S miles of road or $4,000 per mile.
Applying the standard of 60 per cent,
we have taxable valuation of $47.454
per mile instead OF the insignificant
$1,000 per mile as usual.
Bully for the Great Northern
Again in the case of the U. p, of
which the o. r. and n. is a part, the
capital stock is 1896, u.s. 700 and bonds
aggregating $2OO,0OO,OOO, making a
total $496, IFS, 700, based on 1856 miles
of line or $S9.305 per mile. Applying
the GO per cent. basis. A just assess
men would be 1853 1928 per mile. They
pay taxes in Washington on less than
one-eighth OF that value.
Say, how is that for LAW?
Say, my Republican friends, do you
really think you can hoodwink the
people all the time? II you are not
in league with the corporations, please
explain why such palpable discrimina-
tions in their favor? Further, don't
forget TO explain why our taxes are in
creasing in a time of prosperity while
our taxes. under fusion administra-
ton diminished with a constantly d.
minishing debt.
Great is the e. o.p. J.C. Coo.