Aberdeen herald. [volume] (Aberdeen, Chehalis County, W.T.) 1886-1917, 1910-08-04
A STORY OF
EXTRAVAGANCE
The QUESTION OF TAXATION IS
ALWAYS WITH Us.
A Startling Statement Is issued by
the State Taxpayers League. The
Drift Toward Increase of Tax Bur.
den Seems Far in Advance OF In.
creased Population.

| Ihe Over-ShadOWing question in
state affairs is not the election of
United States Senator to represent the
State of Washington in national coun-
ellis, but the election of a level-head.
ed business-like legislature to meet
| squarely the economic issue of pre-
venting our State from drifting into a
wild, excessive epoch of extravaganza.
At the close of the session of the
last legislature, a fOrceful writer con-
tributed letter to the Post-Intelligen-
Ger of Seattle, in which he prOphesied
the situation which now exists, as fol
lows: Nor can the election of United
States Senator cloud the issue, since
1t is certain that the career of optim-
| istic extravaganza into which the
legislature of 1909 plunged the state
will lhave reached the maximum possi-
bilities of tax penalties in the levies
to be eXacted in 1910.'
watch the property holder get
busy with the legislative candidate
next year
Mex year Q91O) will be a year.
of the highest assessment and the
highest levy in Washington with the
certainty that at the close the State
government will be deeper in debt
than ever before"
OF the total amount of taxes rails
ed in the State of Washington for all
purposes-State, county, municipal,
for roads and for schools-practically
20 per cent. were for state taxation.
Five years ago, in the year 1905, the
total amount levied for state purposes
was $2,496, ,922.00, while for the year
hn tnto oil fnp oil
state purposes was 1926, $1,000, or an
increase of 112 per cent. in five years.
The levy for 1908 was S3,593, ,250 90,
and as stated above, the levy for 1909
was 1926, $1,000, an increase of A.
per cent. in one year, and with CEN
tainty that there will be deficit in
stead of any surplus, for the next
legislature to provide for.
Analysed and segregated, the state
ment of tax levieS shows
that the amount levied for the general
fund has increased from 1921 ,356.OO in
1905 to $2,371 ,259.O0 in 1909, an in
crease of 1873 per cent. in five years.
The levy for 1909 is practically dou.
BILE the amount levied for the pre-
vious year of 1908. The levy for the
State school fund (ixed by law at
$1,000 for each child of school age)
increased from 81 ,642, 1920 in 1905 to
$1,976,O49.OO in 1909, an increase of
20 per cent. For the military fund,
$32,S54.OO was levied in 1905. For
1909 this levy is $15S,0S400. The first
levy for the State highway fund was
made in 1906 and amounted to $132,-
553.OO. For the year 1909, the State
highway levy is $3.50, 0,420O0, an in
crease of 800 per cent. in four years.
Commenting on the growing tend
ency to lavish appropriations, the
Honorable J. f. Frost, State Tax Com
missioner, in an address before the
annual meeting of the State AssOcia'
tion of County Commissioners, held
at North Yakima on February 18th,
1910, made the following statement:
"There seems to be a growing tend
ency on the part of the Board of COun-
ty Commissioners and the State legis-
lature to appropriate funds for pur-
poses which do not benefit the public
as a whole.
"The fixed tax levies for the State
have all been increased.
"The levy for State highways has
increased from one-fourth mill to one
mill above that of the previous legis-
lature.
"The levy for military purposes was
increased from one-tenth mill to one
fifth mill above that of the previous
legislature"
Relative to the extravaganza of the
last legislature, he said among other
things:
"In order to meet these advances
n ~
to increase the levy for, all purposes
general fund.- from one and six
tenths mills to three mills; the limit
allowed by law. Constantly a long
line of men gather at Olympia during
the legislative session, who ask for
this, that, and the other thing, and
in many cases there is no general
benefit derived from any such ap-
preparations, but we do not see men
attending the legislative sessions who
ask that the legislature go easy in
making appropriations. No retrench-
ment is asked for by these men. De
spite the increase in the
levy to three mills, there undOuht
edly be deficiency which will have
to be taken up by the next legisla-
ture. The last legislature appropriate
ed three times as much as the pre-
vious one. and the Boards of County
Commissioners are now spending four
times as much as Boards of TWO years
ago.
The man who is thinking Of bring
ing money into the State for an in
vestment always inquiries into the rate
of taxation. From this fact it is adj
visable that we keep our taxation at
the lowest rate possible"
We are undoubtedly entering into
an epoch where it will be necessary
to practice economy. Taxation not