The Evening statesman. [volume] (Walla Walla, Wash.) 1903-1910, 1905-10-02
Examination Shows So Taken Out OF
State for Every Dollar Paid
In Losses,

Tax Commissioners Frost and East
erday are engaged in catching up with
the detail work of the office, which
has fallen somewhat behind by reason
of the continuous session Of the state
board of equalization, Is the report
that comes from Olympia. The next
few days will be given over to the
preparation Of blanks for the various
county clerks to report the condition
of estates which may be subject to
the inheritance tax law, So that the
commission may investigate such
matters with the least possible delay
and at a minimum expense. Next
week a number of large estates will be
appraised in Pierce, King and other
counties in the northwest. Mr.. Rock
we'll and Mr.. Frost will attend the
appraisements in King county and
the northwest, while Mr.. yesterday
will look after those that are in the
county of Pierce
Following this the board will then
take up the question with the state
auditor of the preparation Of the
detailed sheets for the purpose of next
years assessment. At the meeting
Of the assessors in Olympia, a num-
| Der of valuable suggestions were Of
fered by the various assessors, and a
committee from their number was ap
pointed TO reduce them to writing and
send them in for the aid of the COM
mission in the preparation of the
blanks. Great improvement over the
old forms in facilitating the work of
the assessor and in reaching some
species of property which might
otherwise be overlooked is hoped for.
To Probe Insurance.
the recent exposure of insurance
stockholders money, aggregating
perhaps, millions of dollars, in the
payment Of outrageously large salaries
to mediocre o2cers of the companies,
together with the unlawful expendi-
ture of large sums of money for po-
litical purposes, has suggested to the
commission that perhaps the COM
panies were not paying take enough
in this state commensurate with the
business that is done within the state.
Taking the volume Of business for a
period of years done by the various
insurance companies in the state of
Washington, it shows that for every
dollar that they have paid to the CHI
zens of the state in losses they have
taken practically two dollars out of the
state. While the board has reached
no conclusions at this time, Il is safe
to say that it will thoroughly exploit
this subject and nave for presentation
to the next Legislature data and sta
tistics, comparative and otherwise,
showing the amount of taxes paid as
compared with the volume of business
and as compared with the taxes paid
on the volume of business in other
states.
Some of the difficulties of the tax
commission can be appreciated when
it is realized thai. the state of Wash
ington is practically without local sta
tistics on all subjects. 1t has been sug-
gested from a number of sources that
the board was the proper one for the
purpose of gathering statistics that
might be of use in promoting trade
within the state and exploiting it's re-
sources.
Members Are Satisfied.
Taking it all in all the individual
members Of the board are reasonably
we'll satisfied with tine progress THAI
they have made with the difficult and
ever-unsettled subject Of taxation.
They made an estimate of the in
creased assessment this year prior to
the returns and the figures now de-
monstrate that they were not far out
of the way. While they say that it is
too early to make an estimate of the
increased values of property for next
year, yet it is the belief that the tax
rolls will show gain which will be
effort of the board to reach the
species of property, which from Gus