The labor journal. [volume] (Everett, Wash.) 1909-1976, 1911-08-11
WHERE THE
BURDEN FALLS
SMALL TAXPAYER PAYS THE
TAXES OF CORPORATIONS
AND LAND SPECULATORS-
A FEW REASONS FOR THE
EXODUS TO CANADA.

The county tax equalization board Is
now in session in the county building
and, for the benefit of the board, also
with the hope that it may help the small
home owner of Everett, we present the
following gross inequalities in taxation
all in favor of large corporations, speu.
lators, etc, and urge upon our readers
that they take the time to go before
he equalization board and demand that
the heavy burden now imposed upon the
home owner be also handed to the land
corporations and spectators.
Lots at Beverly park, on the interur-
ban, ten minutes ride from Hewitt and
Colby avenues, are advertised for sale
at 1915 per lot. This property is listed
in the name of the Florida Investment
company and is handled by the local
agency of d. A. Duryee. These lots are
assessed at $50 per lot, something under
one-twelfth of their selling price. The
equalization board raised this from $50
to $50 which still leaves it one seventh
of their selling price.
Lots in Pinehurst are advertised by
the Swalwell Investment company, of
Everett, at 1925 per lot These same
lots are on the tax list at $40 per lot; /;
less than one-sixth of their selling price.
The same applies to property in Pine
hurst held by the Pine Grove Land com
pany, except that their valuation runs
from $40 to $25 per lot.
Lots in Swalwells Fourth and Fifth
additions, which run from Grand to
Broadway, ON Ninth street, north, are
assessed at $35 per lot, fraction of
their value.
The enormous body of acreage owned
by the Puget Mill company and the Ev-
erett Improvement company, Immediate
ly south of the city, on the line of the
interurban, where not an inch of land
is for sale at less than $500 an acre,
up to $500 an acre, is assessed at $45
per acre. Several forties of timber land
being valued at from. $500 to $1,000
per forty, at $500 per acre the mini
mum. These forties are worth $4,000
each. Fifteen hundred dollars valuation
on a forty-acre tract worth $4,000 does
not look much like 60 per cent of the
actual valuation, according to our way
of thinking.
Look at Lake Stevens waterfront
acreage, advertised in the Everett pa
pers at $500 per acre tract, some at
higher prices. This property is not as
sessed at one-tenth of the values asked
for it by real estate agents.
Ole Hanson, real estate agent of Sc
attic, is not selling raw acreage east of
Machias at $50 per acre. This land is
not assessed at anything the lawful rate.
Home Acres acreage, to the east Of
Everett, is sold by real estate specula
tors to the public at $l,0O0.O0 per
2R acre tract. That is the quotation
given us August 10, 1911. This same
land is assessed for taxation at 500 per
acre; that is, the kindly board of tax
equalizers, reduced the taxes to that fig
ure. The taxes amounting to about
$3.07 per tract. If this kind of valua-
tion is 60 per cent of the actual value,
we fail to see where it comes in.
These enormous holdings of the Puget
Mill company, the Everett Improvement
company and other spectators in realty,
ought to be valued and taxed the same
as the little man and his one house.
When the county assessor and the com
missioners and the board of tax equali
zation, composed of the commissioners,
assessor and city councilmen, fail to
raise the farcial values placed on valu
able acreage south and east of Everett,
they fail in their sworn duty to the pub
lie. These big speculative land holdings
absolutely prevent the growth of the
city. The land is held at such enormous
figures, when anyone wants to buy it,
that people are not only being prevented
from purchasing, but the immigration of
settlers from outside the state has been
absolutely stopped. Indeed, many of
our own citizens are going into Canada
to seek relief from the present unjust
administration of the tax laws.
Let the readers of this article go up
to the county court house and demand
that the equalization board, now in ses
sion, raise the assessment on land
around the city now held at prohibitive
figures. If they want a basis of value,
let them take the openly advertised
prices of the real estate agents. The
small home owner has been paying the
taxes of the corporations and real estate
sharks long enough in this county. Go
up to the court house and let the equali-
zation board hear from you before it is
too late.