The Leavenworth echo. [volume] (Leavenworth, Wash.) 1904-current, 1910-05-20
PACIFIC NORTHWEST NEWS

are criticising the recent report OF the
Legislative investigating committee,
which declared that the state land
Office has in years past been selling
state timber lands at prices far below
their value. The timber owners resent
the inference that they have feeced
the state of timber lands by paying
prices that were too low, and their
attitude is summed up in a statement
by George S. Long, of the Weyer-
haeuser Timber Co. of Tacoma.
The case is cited of three quarter
sections of land purchased by the
Weyerhaeuser interests in 16-16-5, be-
ing a total of 480 acres, sold in June,
1901, at public auction for $7087.5O,
and it is claimed that now this timber
is worth infinitely more. The Weyer-
haeuser interests own all of the odd
numbered sections in township 10
north, range east, having purchased
the same from the Northern Pacific
Railway company. During the years
1900 and 1901 the Weyerhauser inter
ests were offered and purchased from
the different homesteaders and claim
ants in that township an aggregate OF
4751 acres which cost on an average
SILT an acre. At the same time the
state lands referred to above were ad-
vertised for sale, and the Weyerhaeuser
interests purchased them at an average
price OF $14.76 an acre. 1t is appar-
ent from this that the state got at least
$3.50 an acre more for the lands which
it sold than did the various IS or 40
people who sold other lands immedi-
ately surrounding the state lands in
the same township and at the same
time. These prices seem ridiculously
low in the light of recent events, but
it is necessary to realize what values
were ten years ago before becoming
unduly alarmed over the contrast be-
tween prices then and prices now.
Possibly" says Mr.. Long, the
best thing for the state to do with its
timber lands is not to sell them at all,
although that would work hardship to
a great many mill men and loggers
whose operations are in the vicinity Of
state lands; but one thing is undoubt-
edly true, and that is that whenever
the state does offer its timber, it can
not expect to receive more than the
market price prevailing at that time"
King county did strenuous job OF
tax collecting last week, when her
county treasurer, Matt H. Gormley,
seized 100 cars of the Seattle Electric
Co. on the public streets, and held
them there for two hours, under threat
to keep them and sell them at auction,
unless the company paid its. taxes for
1908, which amounted to $167, 900,
with interest amounting to $2o 900.
At the end of a two-hour hold up Of
traffic on half dozen lines, the attor-
ney for the electric company came
rushing out in an automobile and offer
ed a check for the $167, 900. He
managed to dodge the interest charge,
and it is a delicate legal question
whether the law which provides for a
IS per cent interest charge on delin-
quent personal taxes will stand test
in court. At any rate, King county
got the principal. The controversy
over the taxes began when when the
county assessor began placing valua-
ton on franchises OF public service cor
porations. The big steam railroads,
which are about the most prompt and
heavy taxpayers in the state, paid up
without murmur, but some of Seattle's
corporations raised storm of protest,
and the seizure of street cars last week
was a result of the long drawn-out
fight. Now it is said that the electric
company is going into court and try to
get back the $167, 900, or part Of it,
which it gave up in order to keep its
cars moving.
The state supreme court has con-
frmed the Tacoma decision which
holds that grain shipments, when the
shipper is also the consignee, need not
be inspected under the state law. This
decision practically nullifes the grain
inspection law and will reduce to less
than half the amount of inspection and