Daily capital journal. (Salem, Oregon) 1903-1919, 1906-01-16


no other state In the union has the
system that / have ever heard Of The
state laws now require all property to
be assessed at its true cash value, yet
by their own admission these worthy
assessors interpret that 10 permit them
TO do as they please Mr.. Sigler under
that law trebles values on property in
county, while other asses
sOrs in Oregon, just az competent and
just as honest men, reduce values In
other counties
can Of Mr.. sigler's objections 10
the laws for assessing bank stock lie
20 the present law which Is re-enacted
in the farmers bill. So his objection
is to the very system he is working
under and which this bill does not
change lie says tho proposed law
would treble the work Of his Office, be
cause IL provides for publication Of the
tax roll after the assessor has com
pleteb the same, by preeincts--the law
Of other states for many years. Surely
copying the names and the total Of
personal real property in two columns
ono line Of type to the name would
not treble the duties Of his Office. He
seems 10 be a kind Of immaculate ezar
under tho present law, a dictator Of
values, and would not have his prcrog
ativo intorforcj with by publicity. He
would have 10 publish Il all instead Of
giving TO the newspapers only what
will make a name for himself.
"But the honorable county assessors
object especially 10 taking away from
them tho high privilege Of fixing the
valuations Of railroad properly. Yet
how have they done their work the
g,atc over under the law requiring all
property In the state to be asscsscd
at its true cash value. Railroad assess.
mcnt range an tho way from $4,000
per milo In jackson county 20 ti500
per mile In other counties In the same
limo Of railroad In Marion county the
main line Of thc =. p. Go. Il ausossod
az 10000 per milo and tho branches at
5000 per mile, when tho branches
hardly average ono mixed train a DAG,
while tho main limo has ne heavy traf
hc ne any railroad In tho west besides
being antiquatcd and obsolete, Tho
present system Of county assessors 20
assoaa railroad property Il roaring
farce, and tho won,lor ia that tho gen.
tlemcn tako themselves seriously.
"what orvgon needs worse than any
thing clso IL a rational system Of as
scaaing railroad property AMI 10 abolish
tho graft cailed county aascssor. The
farmoFa' bill wisely adopts tho Iowa
law which, like many other staiea
takes tho Job OF yaluihg those i'm
menso properties entirely out Of ths
hanhs Of tho local officials. When ths
law is passed. prohibiting tho issuing
Of passes 20 officials maybe these a.
SCISSOR viii not elamor 20 loudly TO per
form this duty.
"THH FARAmRs' AND SHIP
PERs' CONGRESS BILL WISELY
REFRAuJED FROM REPEALTNo
ANYTHING. Tho re-onaet aud enact
now and asllitional sources Of revenaes
for state government. The state tax
last year WA t6.e0 on tho thousand
dollars assossed valuo Of an proper
~ In the state What Il done with
tho enormous amount Of money taken
out Of tho people under this taxi Few
people could explain, but this We a,
know thai tho high state tax 10 an OBJ
staelo 90 tho rational development Of
tho state The criticism Of the bill
because 1t does not attempt 10 tal
franchises Is weak because tho stat
tax commission itself declares tha
tho constitution viii have 10 be amend
ed before franchises can bo taxed
With all the bad work Of the county
assessors working under an obsolet
system AMI tho reeklessness Of tho leg
islature in running up enormous aPpro
PFiations for the people 10 pay is il an!
wonder they are turning % indirec
taxatiOn as tho only possible relief
Tho people viii find that the sigle
plan Of raising values Is no solution o.
tho problem. IL feeds tho tax eater.