Aberdeen herald. [volume] (Aberdeen, Chehalis County, W.T.) 1886-1917, 1909-08-23
EQUALIzING FARCE
A MEMBER OF THE BOARD SHOWS
UP DISCREPANCIES.
Councilman Wiley, Who Was Mem.
Der of The Board of EquaIization
tor Aberdeen, Writes of the lne-
qualities of assessments of Ab-
eTdeen TideIandS.

erdeen TideIandS.
Editor Herald:
Is the Board of Equalization
failure? The city of Aberdeen is
entitled to three councilmen to meet
with and be part of the board, to
equaliZe the assessment rolls of the
city of Aberdeen. Three councilmen
were duly appointed and after sew
eral days work assisted by our city
engineer, they found the tide lands
the most unequal assessed properties
and tried to adjust the same, show
ing no favors. They also tried to
get the auditor to issue notices as
required by law to parties innum-
cradle. Situated in and owners of
property in other section of the city
where the assessed values were to
low to be consistent. But were told
Bile to comply with our request ow-
ing to shortage of help. Couldn't
the commissioners have given the
needed help?
| The three counciln. were to act
as a board of equalizers and not as
assessors and | will endeavOr to show
you a part OF what we found and
tried to adjust. .
Aberdeen Lumber G. Shingle Co.,
1 water frontage 2527 feet, assessed
at $1055.00, equaliZed at $5O54 or
$500 front foot. All other south
side tide lands were equaized at $500
per front foot. The Michigan Mill,
the one now owned by Ed HUI
bert. Hulbert's $50 feet of water
front was assessed at 100000 or
81 $50 or $500 per foot. Middleton
and Anderson Mill assessed at
100000 or $3.50 per foot, was
equalized at $17,000.00 or $1,000
per front foot. Alex. Polson's 60
feet assessed at 100000, equalized
at 100000 or $1,000 per lineal foot.
Sea Beach Packing Works 100 feet
assessed at 100000, equalized at
100000. Vulcan Iron Works, 200
feet assessed at $2OOO.0O equalized
at 100000. Douglas Brothers 10
feet assessed at $4,000, equalized
at $1,7OO.O0.
Does any one think for minute
that $1,000 per front foot anywhere
from Middleton's & Anderson's to
the mouth of the Wishkah river is
too much for an assessed valuation?
If so, why should Polson's be as
sessed 100000 on 60 feet?
| Lot 3, tract Is, 25 feet assessed at
at 100000, equalized at $4,000.
Lot 2, tract IS, 80 feet assessed at
100000, equalized at $4,000. Lot
1, tract 16, 25 feet assessed at $4,000,
equalized at 10000. Lot 23, tract
16, 25 feet feet assessed at $4,000,
equalized at 10000. Lot Z, tract
| 8, GAO feet assessed at 10000, and
as no notice was given, no change
could be made. And there is also
GAO feet of Railroad tract used as
| log dump, estimated cost of same
about 100000, including the boom,
the same will lease for $1,2O0.00 per
year and find many takers. There
| re n
| same.
| Lots 8 and ), tract 8, 900 feet
assessed at $4,000, equalized at
$4,000. We also failed to find any
assessed improvements in the shape
of booms, wharves or buildings Sit
uated on the tide lands in front OF
at least three mills in the city OF
| Aberdeen. Now, kind readers, there
were notices sent to 15 property
owners owning tide lands and think
none were left out, and the three
men appointed to act as an equal1za-
| ton board passed upon same equal
lly in every respect. So they saw ana
| adjudged equally and no 1a'ors
shown. Now the gentlemen CD who
, reported to the Aberdeen World that
r. A. Wiley or any other members
of the board were opposed to reduc-
ton on the lots adjacent to the tide
land, lowering to the same plane as
| the lots across the street, lies. 1t is
true that the lots adjacent to tide
land are about 175 per cent higher
than the lots across the street, and
will say that r. A. Wiley, when in
| lcnnference with the tideland owners