East Oregonian : E.O. (Pendleton, OR) 1888-current, 1908-10-22

Will the county court again attempt
to levy road tax upon Pendleton
property owners? Under the city
charter local property is exempt from
county road taxes and while the mat
ter is not yet decided it is understood
that the commissioners will exempt
city property from the road tax this
coming year.
Should the road tax be left off
Pendleton property owners will bene-
fit to the extent of $4,000 or moro
and this will in a measure recon-
pense them for the additional tax
made necessary by prohibition.
Just what the county court will do
it is now impossible TO say. Judge
Gilliland refuses to discuss the SUBJ
ject at present. But it is believed the
county will refuse to refund the back
road tax money collected from Pen
dletonians, but that it will not try to.
continue the levying Of such a tax.
City Needs Money.
The city of Pendleton would be
glad to have that money. for it is now
facing a deficit. When the council
in January makes its levy it will have
TO provide for raising some $4,000
previously paid into the local treas
ury by saloon keepers and half that
sum to cover the deficit of the last
six months of the present year. A
portion of this sum amounting to
about s10,500 will be saved the tax
payers by not having any road tax to
pay.
Call Valuation High.
This problem of a probable In
crease in the levy is said to be the
occasion of a petition of property
owners on Main and Court streets
which came before the board of re-
view yesterday in which some 80 tax
payers represented to the board that
the values of city property are placed
higher than those of the country dis
tricts.
The petition has not been carefully
studied by the board as yet and it Is
not known what disposition will be
made of it. Assessor Strain contends
that the complaint is based upon ar
tificial values given particular lands
by neighbors who are willing to pay
A price much higher than the land
Is worth as an investment, for the
purpose of having a tract which may
ldjoin their present holdings, and
that the real value of the farm lands
Is not nearly so high as the petition
ers contend. In case the board OF
does not uphold the as
SCISSOR the valuations on these proper
lies will be cut down.
Valuation Is Less.
Although the roll has not been full
y totalled as yet, the assessed prop
arty of Umatilla county will amount
o between 100000 and $50, ,0OO,-
700 the present year, as against S42,-
100000 in last seasons assessment
This is due to the fact that Assessor
strain cut the assessment from a ba-
$ Of full valuation to that of between
10 and 20 per cent to protect the To-
al taxpayers against a pending court
Iecision which, it is possible, might
make Umatilla's contribution to the
tate heavier than is Just.
For years the amount of the con-
ributions of the different counties OF
oregon has been fixed by percent
sc basis and Yamhill county, pro-
esting, has had the law declared un-
institutional by the lower court. so
hat in fear the supreme court might
o hold also, Assessor Strain has, in
tead of following the literal con-
truction of the law, cut the valua-
ons to more nearly confirm with
hose of other counties in the state
hat should certain number of mills
e made this county would only con-
ibute its just share.
Exemptions Allowed.
This year also, loss of nearly ST.
10000 in valuation is due to ex-
mptions allowed in case of home-
eaders, etc, Under a decision of the
lpreme court such exemptions under
former law were declared unconsti-
tional, so that last year there were
} exemptions but a recent law has
gain allowed them the result is that
any Umatilla residents will be ex-
npted from such taxation.