The San Juan islander. [volume] (Friday Harbor, Wash.) 1898-1914, 1908-10-31
Proposed Amendment to State Constitution
STATE OF WASHINGTON

OFFICE OF SECRETARY OF STATE.
TO WHOM IT MAY CONCERN; In obedi-
ence to an act ofthe legislature approved March
5th, 1907 entitled as follows: can act to amend
article VII of the constitution OF the state OF
Washington, relating to the assessment and
taxation of property within the state, there is
hereby published for the consideration of the
voters of the state OF Washington, the following
proposed amendment to the constitution of said
state:
THAT at the general election to be held in
this state on the Tuesday next succeeding the
first Monday in November 1908, there shall be
submitted to the qualified electors of this state
for their adoption and approval an amendment
to article VII of the constitution of the state of
Washington, by striking from said article VII
thereof the following, to be known as section
one: Section l.. The power of taxation shall
away. Taxes shall be uniform upon the same
class of subjects, and shall be levied and col
lected for public purposes. The property of
the United States, and OF the state, counties,
school districts and other municipal corpora
tons, and personal property to the amount of
three hundred dollars for each head of a family.
liable to assessment and taxation under the
provisions of the laws OF this state OF which the
Individual is the actual and BONA FIDE owner
shall be exempt from taxation.
'That there shall be printed on all ballots
provided for the said election, the words For
the proposed amendment to article VII of the
constitution relating to the assessment snd
taxation of property within the state Against
the proposed amendment to article VII of the
constitution relating to the assessment and
taxation of property within the state !"
In testimony whereof have hereunto set my
hand and affixed the seal of the state of Wash
ington.
Done at Olympia this rst day of July. 1905.
(SeaD SAM H. NICHOLS,
Secretary of State.
To THE VOTERS: For your information I
herewith insert that portion of the state consti-
tuition as it now exists which is proposed to be
substituted by the above printed amendment:
ARTICLE vII.-sEcT1oNs Il 3, AND4.
"SEcT1oN I. All property in the state not ex-
empt under the laws OF the United States, or un-
ton to its value, to be ascertained as provided
by law. The legislature shall provide by law
for an annual tax sufficient, with other sources
OF revenue, to defray the estimated ordinary ex-
penses Of the tate for each fiscal year. And for
the urpose of paying the state debt if there be
any, the legislature shall provide tor levying
est and principal of such debt within twenty
years from the final passage of the law creating
the debt.
SEC. 2. The legislature shall provide by law
a uniform and equal rate of assessment and tax
alton on all property in the state, according to
its value in money, and shall prescribe such
regulations by general law as shall secure just
valuation for taxation of all property, SO that
every person and corporation shall paw tax in
proportion to the value of his, her, or its prop
erty: PROVIDED, That deduction of debts from
credits may be authorized: PROVIDED FURTHER
That the property of the United States and of
the state, counties, school districts, and other
municipal corporations, and such other property
as the legislature may by general laws provide,
shall be exempt from taxation. AND PROVIDED
FURTHER, That the legislature shall have pow
er, by appropriate legislation, to exempt per-
sona1 property to the amount of 5000 for each
head of family liable to assessment and tax
alton under the provisions of the laws of this
state of which the individual is the actual BONA
Eide owner.
"SEc. 3. The legislature shall provide by gen.
Ell al law for the assessing and levying of taxes
on all corporation property as near as may be by
the methods provided for the assessing
and 1evying of taxes on individual property.
'SEC. q. The power to tax corporations and
corporate property shall not be surrendered or
suspended by any contract or grant to which
the state shall be party"