The weekly chieftain. [volume] (Vinita, Craig County, Okla.) 1905-1913, 1911-12-15
BIG FIGHT STARTS
AGAINST HIGH TAXES
Petitioner Alleges State Equalization
Board Acted Arbitrarily in Rails
ing Assessments.

Muskogee, Okla, Dec. 13.-Rumors
and big talk took form yesterday even
ing when a petition was filed in the
superior court to enjoin w. H. Vain
wright, county treasurer, and his as
sistants and his successors from ever
collecting or using any legal methods
to collect, the taxes assessed against
F. H. Nash, a merchant at Fort Glib
son.
This. it is said, is simply the first
petition of many which will be filed
within the next week. Almost every
merchant in the county is going to
flight the payment of taxes which have
been assessed against him. For
months the merchants have been OBJ
jecting, talking and threaA ening not
to pay. They have appeared with
their objections but without gaining
anything Yesterday the first gun was
fired in what promises to be one of
the biggest legal fights which has ever
been started in civil suit way in this
county. The petition lays the blame
on the state board of equalization of
which Governor Cruce is the chairman
and head. 1t accuses the state board
of unfairness, of levying a tax with
out investigation of the conditions in
this county, of arbitrarily making a
raise far beyond the actual cash value
of merchandise without giving the mer
chant chance to offer an objection
or without giving him a chance to
make corrections in their assessment
Moves in With 5000.
+. II. Nash, who is the plaintiff, in
the petition filed yesterday, says he is
merchant in the town of Fort Gibson
and owns a stock of goods there. He
alleges that he listed the goods at their
fair cash value estimated on what the
goods would bring at fair voluntary
sale made in the name of the plaintiff.
He rendered the goods to the lawfully
authorized assessor of the town of Fort
Gibson, at the sum of $4,000
] Mr.. Nash further alleges that on
Tue third day of April, the duly quail
flied and acting board Of equalization
of and for the town of Fort Gibson, al
though they had the power to change
and either lower or raise the assess
Iment, held that the assessment was
an actual, true and Just cash value.
The Muskogee county board of
! equalization met on the first Monday
of June, 1911, and did not change the
assessment and held that the assess
ment as had been made was just.
state Board Raises.
On the third Monday in June, 1911,
the state board of equalization met in
Oklahoma City and increased the as
sessment against Nash 100 per cent
and thus increased his assessment ar
bitrarily 100 per cent ebove the actual
cash value without any hearing or in
vestigation, and without giving him no
tiee of their intention.
The state board of equalization then
ordered the increase to be spread of
record in Muskogee county. he alleges
and when the plaintiff Nash. appealed
to the county board and the county
treasurer. they informed him they had
no authority or power to change the
final action of the state board.
Mr.. Nash now says that the county
treasurer is about to collect these un-
lust taxes, although he has rendered
him the just amount which was figured
on the actual cash value of the goods.
Nash Calls.
Mr.. Nash also alleges that the ac.
tion of the state board in increasing
his assessment 100 per cent above their
laetual value is contrary to section eight
article ten of the constitution of the
state of Oklahoma
Bower Broaddus of firm of Molony
& Broaddus. is representing the plain
eff and Peter A. Gavin, assistant coun-
ty attorney, appeared yesterday for the
county treasurer and waived service
and notice.
The attorneys connected with the
case intimated last evening that a
number of suits would be filed within
the next few days, of the same nature
as the one filed yesterday, and that
this is just the first of about a hun