Aberdeen herald. [volume] (Aberdeen, Chehalis County, W.T.) 1886-1917, 1905-11-20
DESIRE ON PART OF Law MAKERS
TO RAISE TAXES.
George n. hoffman, a Pioneer ner-
chant of Olympia, on the Subject.
He Says to Increase Valuations
Would Increase Taxes. Tax COM
missioner Frost on Taxation.

would increase taxes. lax tom.
missioner Frost on Taxation.
"At present the whole atmosphere is
heavily charged with desire upon the
part Of the law. makers rs we'll as the
officials in general to see how much taxes
can be raised in every conceivable way,
and not how little money the state,
county or cities can get along with and
yet give the people good, prosperous
and clean government" declared George
A. Mottman, in the course OF a pa per
r. ad before recent meeting of the
Thurston County Taxpayers League.
MIR. Mottman is one of the pioneer mer.
chants Of Olympia, and he discussed the
matter purely from the standpoint of the
man who pays .he tax. He opposed the
plan to tax property at it's full value un.
less provision is previously made to limit
expenditures to per cent.
1--WE now pay per cent. on so per
cent. basis" he declared. "ro make the
basis 100 per cent. would only mean that
an per cent. tax would be levied and
property would he eaten up by taxes in
seven We RS, instead OF ten years, as is
now the case "
Tax Commissioner J. f. Frost, who
addressed the meeting, went into the
history of taxation from the beginning,
when the government begun with the
family. His remarks, in part, were az
follows:
THE last assessment OF this state
shows the value of real property to be
1854 ,446 OPS; the value OF personal prop.
erty is $64, $685. 800, or about 10 per cent.
of the whole. Taking the average as
sessment for the whole United States
personally pays but II per cent. These
figures become ridiculous in the light oI
the fact that in our modern civilization
more than seven tenths of the wealth ol
the world is composed of personally.
Out OF the sixty -four millions of person.
atty returned for assessment in this state
for the current year, more than eighteen
millions, or 2S]5 per cent. was composed
of the personal effects of the farmer
These figures do not include his house
hold effects, his moneys and credits
They are the valuation of his horses anC
cattle, his sheep, hogs, farm produce
farming tools and wagons, and nothing
else.
"rhe total moneys returned by the
state assessors. including the moneys al
banks, brokers and stock jobbers
amounts to but $2,646, ,425, or less thar
5 per cent. of the deposits in the state
The sum total of the moneys and credits
of all description is but $3,211,l ,l77, or les,
than per cent. of the valuation Of the
property of the 81 s'ate-an absurd condi
ton truly-a condition that is unjust
unfair. wrong in every way. This class
Of property is the class that has the
greatest earning capacity. This condition
should be cured, and the tax commission
is devoting it's best energies to that end
Whether or not this condition can be
remedied under existing laws, is ex
tremely doubtful. The reports of the
tax commissions and accounting officers
of all the other states are unanimous in
saying that the general property tax, in
stead of being tax upon personal prop
erty, is a tax upon ignorance and honesty
"The days when the earth was young
before the combines and vast machinery
of the modern business world was
dreamed of, when wealth was lands and
cattle, ships and slaves, Onr present sys-
| TEN Of taxation fitted the conditions and
was fairly equitable. We have not kept
step with the march OF progress, We have
stood still. What we need, what we are
striving for, what we must have, are tax
| laws fitted to modern business condi.
tions. Taxes that will reach all sorts
and conditions Of property; taxes upon
ability, not liability.
"Many states, like ours, are handi-
capped by constitutional provisions that
do not fit this progressive age, that pre-
vent the meeting of present economic
conditions. Constitutional amendments
will have to he made. The right to levy
taxes is one Of the Inherent incidents ol
government. Constitutional provisions
do but place restriction on that power
"Under our present laws the resident
Of this state who loans his money il
liable to taxes on it, often 4 or per cent
or even more. The nonresident and the
banker reap all the BENEFITS of the high
rate of interest foster ed by these meth.
ods, and escape the payment Of taxes or
this class Of credits. The result Of these
mortgage taxes where tried has been te
lower and steady the rates Of interest
| II think we could we'll profit bv the
example of Wisconsin and New York
We have numerous corporations of 9
public characteristic express com panies
telegraph and telephone lines. that are
reaping immense profits from their deal
ings with the public. and yet contributing
substantially nothing to the support o
our government that protects and makes
hi.