Daily capital journal. (Salem, Oregon) 1903-1919, 1908-02-29
TAXING
OREGON
TIMBER
Curry County Paper Complains That
No Proper Valuations Are At
tached by Assessors.

The Radium, published by that
doughty fighter against shams
wrongs and frauds, Il. d. Hume. OF
Wedderburn, has an article calling
/ attention to the way timber lands
escape taxation. He should reside in
Marion county where timber lands OF
residents and non-residents are as.
sessed on a stumpage basis and one
timber land company handed in a
check for over $4,000 the other day
The Radium says:
Why are timber lands assessed per
lacre?
That is the question and now is
the logical time for the people to
look into this matter.
Mind you, this paper Is not ac-
cusing any official of being corrupt
but simply strikes at the plan or
methods in vogue at this time.
Follow this carefully and see IL you
do not agree with us.
Upon what system of valuation
have the thousands of acres OF tim
Der lands in Curry county been pur-
chased by foreign corporations? You
all know that not solitary timber
claim has been purchased only after
careful cruising and estimating. aud
the valuation was governed by results
OF that cruise That was. and Is the
system used by the capitalist in deal
ing with the owner.
Now. how did the assessor get at
his valuation? Did he cruise the
land or did he take some mans say
as to the selling price? How far from
the actual cash value did the assessor
come. and how does he know whether
the figures. he hears about or sees
upon the deeds are the actual figures
or not?
Who OF all people should know the
result OF careful cruising and estlmat
ing Of the timber OF this county
but the county board? Why has not
that body made II It's own business
TO send a cruiser and estimator over
the timber land of this county and
see that the owners pay taxes upon =
valuation per thousand feet? A ma
iority of the timber of Curry county
is held by foreign spectators. When
the time Is ripe this timber will be.
cut and shipped away. The stumps,
rocks and mountains will remain.
The value will be gone. Whether
there will be enough value left 20
Justify the th.u owners In paying
any tax whatever viii be problematl-
cal The chances are the majority
of II viii be sold for taxes and much
of it the county will be compelled TO
bid In. Then why are these immense
values allowed to grow In size now
and bear but small part OF tha
burden while the resident digs TO pay
tax much greater? The resident o.
the one who improves the county. II
Is he who builds the houses. plants,
the orchards and develops the coun.
try to the point where the railroad
builder takes notice. When the
railroad comes. the speculator has
made HIS millions. and with no ef-
fort. He has not lived in the wilder
ness. He has not kept his childrea
away from the splendid city educa-
t'onal facilities. He has not swung
his axe, felled the trees and grubbsd
the stumps. He has not made two
blades grow where one grew before.
but he has reaped a thousand blades
where he never did SOW. He has en-
joyed his luxurious home and COM
Portable surroundings while the resi-
dent plodder has performed the la
Dor which increased the value OF the
thing in which the capitalist speeu-
lated with fe wpaltry dollars.
IL Is time for the people TO wake
np and demand that the timber values
Of the county shall pay their just
share OF the tax. and that real prop
srty Is properly equalized IL is time
Tor the people to see that ali proper
~ Is assessed as the statute says Il
shall be assessed, and that the ex-
penscs Of the county that amount 10
aothing, such as Interest items. are
Kept az the lowest possible sum. This
lone, the levy viii be greatly reduced
'nd the burden equally distributed.
Il is high time petty personal in
erests were dropped and the matter
II a good aud permanent road from
me end OF the county to the Other
aken up in earnest
Il Is hard 70 see what elaim 10 re-
lection an administration has. whose
forts Al good rOaa making have