Aberdeen herald. [volume] (Aberdeen, Chehalis County, W.T.) 1886-1917, 1911-08-28
Pamphlet Issued by the State
Tax Payers League Food
For Thought.
AN APPEAL FOR ECONOMY
Tax Levy in State Doubles in
Five Years of Reckless
Expenditure.

In the year 1906 the State of Wash
ington was in the midst of its great
est prosperity. Two transcontinental
railway lines were building into the
state, buying rights-of-way and ter
minals at fancy prices and expending
enormous outlay of money in general
construction. All other kinds of bus
mess We're equally prosperous and all
kinds of property reached to high
water mark.
This period of remarkable growth
and prosperity extended over into the
year 1907, and was checked by the
financial furry that occurred in the
autumn of 1907 and since that time
there has been general settling
down and leveling of values.
1t is no mis-statement of facts to
admit that in all probability the val
ues established in the early part of
1907 by this epoch of remarkable
prosperity were, in a measure, inf1at-
ed, and since then We have been set
ting down to a more normal condi-
tion.
The most remarkable fact in con
nection with the depression of 1907
and the more quiet years which have
followed, is that all kinds of values
have not shrunken more than they
have; but there can be no doubt but
what the general business conditions
of the state at large are in such shape
that it behooves every individual
every community and every munich
pality to pay more attention to gen
uine economies. .
Meet Conditions as They Exist.
When either profits or income are
seriously reduced, the level headed
business man or individual reduces
his expenditures as much as is sane
and possible, and the remarkable
thing to be noticed is, that while this
close attention to economy which is
practiced by the corporation. or the
firm or the individual in the manage
ment of it's own private business and
affairs, it is not characteristic of the
state, the county or the municipality
in the management of the state, coun
ty and municipal affairs. AS an il
lustration, at the height of the state:
greatest prosperity in the year 1906
the total amount levied for taxation
for all purposes in the state of Wash
ington was $14,O49,675.3l This was
the amount levied to defray all ex
penses for the year 1907.
Four years later, in 1910, the total
amount levied to defray the exepens
es Of the state, county, municipality
and school districts was $27,OS3,979.
"a.
Business Principles Should Apply.
Instead of retrenchment, there has
undoubtedly been increased expendi
ture. 1t is now time to consider
whether the tax levy for the year 1911
is to still show this increasing growth
or whether it is to be trimmed down
to fit the actual business situation
which exists in the state. In other
words, whether we shall continue to
raise more money to defray the ex.
penditures of state, county and num-
icipaity, or whether we shall do as
the business man and the individual
does and rptrench
This continual growth may be bet
ter shown by submitting the follow
ing figures:
Total tax levy in 1906. .S14,049,675.3 81
Total tax levy in 1907. 1S,4S7,516.91
Total tax levy for 1908. 20,53O. .262 81
Total tax levy in 1909. 24,9O3 1926. 73
Total tax levy for 1910. 27,0S3.979. .S4
Keep Expenses Within Economical
Limits.
Epochs of unusual prosperity are
nearly always followed by extrava.
gance, but in epochs of comparative
depression it would seem that there
should be an effort made to keep ex.
penses within the limit of the tax
payer to pay, and within the limit OF
sane retrenchment and true economy
That there has been a halt in the
upward tendency Of values is too ap-