The morning Astorian. [volume] (Astoria, Oregon) 1899-1930, 1905-06-16
FOLLOWING THE LAW.

Judge Webster, county Judge of Multi
nomah county, has ordered that assess
ment of Multnomah county be made il
accordance with the law and that al
property. both real and personal, be as
sessed at its true cash value. He further
states that the county court will re-
duce The tax levy in proportion to the
increase in valuations so that the tax.
payers will not have TO pay more take:
than they do now. Several other coun.
ties in the state have decided to assess
all property as the law says it shall be
assessed. At meeting of the county
assessors Of the state this was agreed
upon and will be followed in nearly every
county in the state except Clatsop eoun.
ty. Assessor Cosaelius states that pub
lie sentiment is against assessing the
property at its true cash value for the
reason that it has no confidence in the
administrative ability and business judg.
ment of the county court nor the com
mon council. While there may be an
abundance of causes for apprehension,
it is no excuse for any officer to violate
the law.
The very men who are opposing the
increased assessment for fear that the
county court and the common council
will not reduce the tax levies, are the
ones who always vote to keep the pres.
ent administration in power. They know
that low valuation and a high levy
is detrimental TO the interests of the city
and county and keeps investors away,
but rather than vote their party ticket
for some immiganiary grievance, they
vote to keep democratic administra.
tion in power, whom they say they dare
not trust. II it is true, as Assessor Cor.
nelius intimates that the large property
owners and taxpayers have no confidence
in the business ability of those who are
in power and manage the business affairs
of the city and county, why is it that
men in power! Isthere one of them
that would employ in his own business
hiatt would employ in his own business
a man that he would be afraid to trust {!
What kind of men have we in Astoria
and Clatsop county that vote to elect
men to office that they are afraid to
trust!
A large majority of the people do not
understand the question. Many OF them
imagine that high valuation means an
increase in the taxes. Judge Webster of
Multnomah county explains this in a dis.
patch published in yesterday mornings
Astorian, as follows: "Multnomah coun.
ty's tax will not be increased by the plan
of assessing property at its full cash
value" said Judge Webster this morning.
who said that people who supposed the
tax would be greatly increased by the
fact that the assessed valuation is to be
made practically three times greater
than it now is, had very erroneous i'm,
preston. ''We have TO raise Just so much
money for county purposes" he said
"and if we have large amount to levy
on the rate of the levy will be cores.
pondingly less. To illustrate, ii the
assessed valuation of property in this
county is now $50,OOO,0OO, and we have
a four per cent tax, when the assessed
valuation il Sl5O,0OO,0OO the rate of the
tax would be only about l.2 per cent"
Judge Webster then explained that
the county court levied only the general
county and road tax and had nothing
TO do with the other levies. But the
state tax and the state school tax will
not be increased by the change in the
manner of assessing property, for the
levy OF these is not based on the valua-
tion of the property at all. The other
levies are based on the valuation, how
ever, and speaking for the county levies.
Judge Webster said the levies would.
of course. be smaller if the valuations
were higher.
"The law requires the county assess
or to assess property at its full value"
said the judge, "and he is only doing his
duty in making it that way. The asses
ment will be uniform and will not affect
one citizen more than another"
The decision of the county assessor is
that he can not comply with the law the