Aberdeen herald. [volume] (Aberdeen, Chehalis County, W.T.) 1886-1917, 1911-08-21
Arbitrary Increase Made By
City Council Committee
Not Relished
ABERD'N HEARING TODAY
Land Values Near Harbor
Cities are Boosted. Who
Pays the Taxes.

A number of Aberdeen business
men went to Montesano this morning,
in response to notice from Assessor
Jones, to show cause why their per-
sonal property assessments should not
be increased above the figures return
ed by the deputy assessor. Much dis
satisfaction is expressed at the action
of the committee of the city council,
in recommending number OF in
creases, without, it is said, any detin-
ite information upon which to base
their action,
The per capita tax in Chehalis
county last year for every man. wom-
an and child was $3.50 The entire
tax paid, including everything. was
$S74,433, of which the public utilities
paid $44,933.5S.
The population of Chehals county
according to the last census was &c.
$50. The basis for figuring families
is an average of five persons to
family, making approximately 1000
families. Out of this number there
are only 5000 persons in the county
who pay a personal tax and 200 out
OF this number pay nine-tenths of the
entire personal tax.
Railroads Show Decrease.
Chehalis county paid into the state
as its tax in 1909. $1S6.41S and the
railroads paid into the county $751;
1898. Last year Chehalis county
paid into the state $19S.012. an in
crease Of 8 per cent. while the rail-
roads paid into the county but eS4.'
S60.66, a decrease Of s2.2S8.67 or 6
per cent.
The railroads had built more track,
had prospered by the growth in the
county where every other taxable
property was paying decided in
crease over 1909, yet their tax shows
a decrease.
Jones Explains Increase.
"The statement that the poor mar
is paying the bulk of the taxes ir
Chehalis county is wrong" said AS
SCISSOR F.. E. Jones. "The noticeable
increase this year is not working
hardship on any one. The increase i:
due to improvements and added stock
The mill machinery has not been in
creased, only their Improvement
hove made their assessments larger
"The statement that the poor mai
is paying the taxes is not true. TAX
for instance only 5000 families II
the county paying taxes. More thai
800 of this number are exempt /
family OF person must have household
goods and other property valued a
$3.50 before he pays cent of tax. W.
We assessed on 40 per cent basi
and there Is $500 exemption, so tina
no poor people are paying persona
tax in Chehalis county"
List Of Increases.
A list of increases recommended, tC
gether with the names of the propert
owners affected follows:
Kellog & Wood Lumber company
Northwest quarter of the southwes
quarter. section 5, township II, rang
10 broadway hilD, from $500 t,
$4,000; southwest quarter of south
east quarter same section, less a de
scribed portion, from $1,S00 to S2,1OO
George b. Hopkins-Northwes hal
OF northwest quarter, section 5, from
$500 to S4.100 and two other tract.
in the same section from $1,000 t.
$4,000 in one instance and from S9O(
TO $1,000 in another case.
Andrew Peterson-Southwes quar-
ter of the northwest quarter, section
5. from $500 to $4,000, and the nortl
80 acres of the northwest quarter OF
the southeast quarter, from S700 tt
$500.
Earl Fl. Freeman is asked to stant
a raise on 20 acres in the same sec
ton of $3.50, the valuation being in
creased from $3.50 to $1,000.
Book Affected.
Valuations on 40 and 20 acres
owned by j. S. Book in section are
raised from $1,S25 to S2,o5o. and from
5000 to $1,000 respectively. Block I
Same section 1aSc riub, of ,,-o,, :.