Aberdeen herald. [volume] (Aberdeen, Chehalis County, W.T.) 1886-1917, 1912-07-18

The expected happened at the meet
ing of the county commissioners Mon
lay. when Hopkins and Davis refused
10 adopt the resolution introduced by
Wilson, which authorized the county
attorney to investigate the tax rolls
in order to discover if the frauds eX-
posed by the Herald We're the only
;ases OF criminal tax dodging, or If
the practice had been general.
No one at all familiar with the ac-
tions OF the majority of the board
had believed they would sanction a
real investigation, and this is just
what the Wilson resolution provided
for The only inference left for the
public is that certain classes OF prop
erty have been habitually favored as
the expense of the other classes, and
that the problem of correcting this
iniquitous practice and furnishing the
guilty parties is up to the public.
Davis Assigns Reason
Hopkins vouchsafes no reason for
his refusal to permit the investiga-
rion of the fraud exposed by the
Herald in Township 21-7, which is
admitted by the deputy assessor, who
says that Office was induced to make
alterations by misinformation given
by Tax Agent Marshall of the Weyer-
haeuser Timber Co. Davis is more
condescending, yet the reason he as
signs proves to be no reason at all,
when the circumstances are known.
He says he favored the resolution
when it was first introduced. but Op-
posed it last Monday because he did
not desire TO make the deputy as
ssor the goat.
If Mr.. Davis had favored the reso
luton when it was first read, on July
l, it would have been adopted, and
the investigation now under way, and
the deputy would have the only pos
siole opportunity to clear the office
and place the blame where she says
it belongs-on Mr. Marshall If Mr.
Davis will consider that the deputy
admits having made the alterations
and must bear the blame unless it
be voluntarily assumed by the Tim
Der company, or saddled upon that
corporation by an official investiga-
tion-or grand jury. If the assessors
office was the innocent victim of mis-
placed confidence in the company
TAX agent, it is the rankest injustice
to deny the deputy the investigation
as demanded by Commissioner Will
son.
Try to Get Money Back.
The official minutes of the board
meeting Monday show that, "Hop.
ins and Davis opposed the resolution
on the grounds that there had been
no fraud or collusion shown in con-
nection with the lowering of any valu-
alton on the tax rolls" Right here
it may be we'll asked, What oppor-
tunity was given to show whether
there was fraud or collusion or not?
Has the majority of the board inside
information not known to the public
that they base official action upon?
At this same meeting, those two
members of the board admit that
fraud was committed, when they
made an order to the assessor to try
TO recover the taxes on Sec. 2l-21-7
that We're lodged in 1910 and 1911.
The refusal to authorize the investi-
cation, in the face OF the above or
der, indicates one of two things, eth
er chld-like belief that this conf
pany. owning $4,000 acres of land in
the county, confined it's tax lodging
fear that too much similar fraud may
be brought to light if investigated
The deputy assessor says the valua
tiOns on this section We're reduced
from $4,000 to $4,000 on the state
ment of Tax Agent Marshall that the
timber was of poor quality for some
cause, and that he was believed The
official cruise of the land shows that
he had simply lied. Not satisfied
with the official cruise Hopkins and
Davis have had this section recruits
ed--at county eXpense-since the eX-
posure by the Herald, by Frank No
BILE. who reported timber slightly in
excess of the official report. Yet
saws Commissioners Hopkins and Da-
Wis. no fraud is shown. The Weyer-
haeuser Timber Co. has cruiser re
ports upon every piece Of timber land
i owns. therefore. Mr.. Marshall must
have been aware that he was lying
20 dodge taxes when he gave the in
formation that caused the reduction.
provided the story Of the deputy is
true 1t is unfair 10 leave the deputy
N her present position. when an in
vestigation would saddle the blame
on the Timber company-assumins,
as the Herald does. there was nc
cOllusion.
Taxes on Section 21
For the better understanding of the
tax lodging operations in Section 2l-
2l-7. it will be we'll to review the last
three assessments on that section.
And when it is considered possible
that the operation here is very like