The Evening statesman. [volume] (Walla Walla, Wash.) 1903-1910, 1905-09-11
TAXES SHIFTED ON PUBLIC
KING COUNTY MAN MAKES PLEA
FOR BETTER SYSTEM OF
ASSESSMENTS.
Those Against Large Corporations, He
Says, Should Be Taken From
County Authorities.

In an argument made before the
state board of equalization at Olym-
pia, County Commissioner Dan Abra-
ham strongly advocated that the
state tax commission should see that
a law was passed by the next legis-
lature taking the assessment of the
property of corporations from the
hands of the county assessors and
from the jurisdiction Of the county
boards of equalization and placing 1t
directly in the hands of the state tax
commission. He also declared that
in the proposed law should be incor-
porated a provision compelling cor
porations to make a detailed report of
the amount of their capital stock,
their gross and net earnings for the
year. a list of their property and ex-
penses and outstanding debts. By such
a table the exact value of each share
of stock could be determined and the
shareholders could be compelled to pay
just taxes.
By reason of the fact that Abraham
has spent almost decade in the as
SCISSORS office as assessor and chief
deputy and because he sat on the re-
cent board of equalization in King
county, the argument had much
weight. The statements and sug-
gestions made by Abraham, he de-
clared, resulted from mis- experience
and knowledge of how corporations
are taxed. He was frank in the
statement that none of the franchise
holding corporations in King county
paid a just proportion of the county's
taxes and that with the exception Of
the banks in King county, he was sat-
isfied that few large corporations
were assessed high enough.
Attention Given Argument.
The members of the tax commission
are members of the board of equaliza-
ton and consequently heard the argu-
ment of the King county commits
sioner. Although a member Of the
recent board of equalization held in
King county, Abraham did not hesi-
tate to declare that he believed that
the boards in this county and through
out the state were considerable of a
farce and that their labor was of lit
lie if any value. Much of the best
work done by the assessor he stated
was wiped away by the ignorant and
arbitrary action of the county equali-
cation boards. How it could be eX-
pected that three councilmen, VINO
knew little if anything about taxa
ton, and three county commissioners,
who in most cases had little opportuni
ty to learn anything about the SUBJ
ject, could be a competent board was,
Abraham declared, beyond his COM
prenens;on.
When seen upon his return from
Olympia Abraham gave his views at
length to the Seattle Times.
Il told the state board exactly what
1 thought" said the county commits
sioner. Il have had much experience
in the assessors office and I know
that most of our best work was I'M
done by the boards of equalizations.
The time mas come to make large cor
porations, such as the railways, the
telephone companies and the street
car companies pay somewhere near
their share of the general taxes. 1
do not hesitate to say that they are
not now paying it. The idea of three
councilmen and three county COM
missioners, who in most cases know
nothing about assessments, trying to
fix the value of the holdings of cor
porations is ridiculous
Influence of Politics.
Politics, undoubtedly, has some in
f1uence with local assessors and boards
of equalization in fixing the assess
ments of large corporations. Place
this matter in the hands of the tax
commissioners, VINO have nothing to do
for a year except to study taxation
and who are not interested in LEGAL
conditions, and a decided improve
ment in the matter should result.