The Evening statesman. [volume] (Walla Walla, Wash.) 1903-1910, 1904-03-29

shown by the DOCKS u the udHh, VI
words to that effect The purpose of
this amendment is to give the banks
the power to fix their avn assessments.
The law is plainly unconstitutional, as
it is class favoritism of the rankest
sort. This law carried an emergency
clause and went into effect at noon on
March 18th 1903. 1t did not apply to
the general law says that the taxable
valuations of all property shall be
taken as they were on March 1st.
The Walla Walla county commits
sioners took this view of the law and
when they sat as "a board of equaliza
ton they fixed the assessment of bank
stock at the same figures as set by AS
SCISSOR Cadman the year before. The
suit of the banks against the cOllec-
ton of that assessment against their
stock was still pending and the COM
missioners would have killed the
courty's case if they had agreed upon
a lower valuation.
But when the banks came to pay
their taxes there was a different story
adopting high sounding but mean
ingless and empty resolution declaring
hat hn 1,nn CHI
their full assessment, voted to accept
about 40 cents on the dollar as par
tial payment of the taxes rightfully
due on bank stock. OF course the
banks will never pay more unless suit
is brought by the county to compel
them to do so and there is no indica-
ton that the county attorney has the
slightest intention of bringing such a
suit. The result will be that the banks
Will be presented by the commission
ers with $4,000 or $4,000 of money that
belongs in the county treasury.
The valuation of bank stock as
year is only $91 a share for the First
National and $S1 for the Baker Boyer
National, as against s233 and $3.50 a
share respectively in 1902. The same
conditions obtain in other counties of
the state and the aggregate loss to the
public treasury is enormous.
The question of railroad taxation
taxpayers league In the adjoining
county of Umatilla in Oregon Assessor
Strain last year fixed the valuation of
railroad trackage, including rolling
stock at $4,000 a mile. In this coun-
ty the valuation, including rolling
stock, was not more than half as much
although the earning value of the
roads is nearly if not quite AS great.
The proposed league could also save
the taxpayers many thousands of dol
lars annually by insisting upon the
observance of the laws requiring
county commissioners and city coun-
ellis to advertise for bids on all sup
plies, apparatus, etc, bought by the
county or the incorporated towns The
Statesman has recently shown that
other cities have purchased fire en-
gines of the same size and class as
that just purchased by our city coun-
ell for thousand dollars less money.
A letter published in this issue of the
Statesman from Harry w. Bringhurst
shows that the city paid $500 more
than was necessary for the combined
chemical engine and hose wagon just
purchased. Many people have ex-
week for a team of work horses for the
fire department was about 5000 too
much, Not long ago the county COM
missioners bought ninety tons of hay
at from $14 to 81 a ton. when it was
selling in the open market much
cheaper. Nearly $4,000 has been ex-
pended in the last few weeks for road
machinery without inviting the com
petitive bids required by law
These examples are cited to show
how the city and the county are being
"cinched' because of the want of vigil
lance on the part of taxpayers
"ENerybOdys business is nobody's bus
mess, because nobody cares to take
upon himself the responsibility and
the cost of putting a stOy to these pub
nc abuses. A we'll organized taxpay-
ers league could soon end such rep
rehensible practices without great ex-
rense to any individual member. In
tact one or two lessons in court would
teach public officials to observe the
laws ana not to presume longer upon
the indifference of the public A lit
tie less fractional politics and a great
deal more of devotion to the public