Washington standard. [volume] (Olympia, Wash. Territory) 1860-1921, 1912-03-22
TAXATION RUNNING RIOT.


in 1903 was $142, ,873, and in 1911
this had increased over 12O per cent,
the total amount levied for the same
purpose being s3l6,4l9. At the
same time, in Pacific County, the
bonded and warrant Indebtedness in
1908 was less 100000, while at
the close of the year 1911 it was four
times this amount, or practically
&785. 900.
In Skagit County the levy for
county. road and school proposes
in 1908 was $32O.86l. and in 1911
this had grown to $549, ,23S. 90. and
the bonded and warrant Indebtedness
grew from $425, 900 in 1908 to $7O7,-
1863 at the close OF 1911.
In Snohomish County, the levy for
county. road and school purposes in
1908 was approximately s682, 600,
and in 1911, for the same purposes.
the levy was $1,O15,952. During
the same period the bonded and war
rant Indebtedness was increased from
81. 1870, 1866 to 81. .512,O47.
In Thurston County there was
raised for county, road and school
purposes in 1908 $181, ,439. while
in 1911 the amount raised for the
same purpose was $281, POI, and
during the same period there was an
increase in the bonded and warrant
indebtness of over $4,000.
In Whatcom County the amount
levied for county, road and school
purposes in 1908 was $3O9, 9,565.
for the same purpose in 1911 $780,
211.
Mr.. Taxpayer, You Should Care
fully Consider This-lt Is Important.
A drift in the same direction is notice
able in all the counties in Western
Washington, so that it must be ap-
parent that the amount raised by
tax levies is not only increasing at
an alarming rate from year to year,
but that the bonded and warrant in
debtedness il increasing still faster
rate. 1t seems to be popular thing
nowadays to have . bond issue. They
are easy to sell and are q favorite
security for the Eastern capitalist to
invest in, but if the taxpayer will
look upon the affairs OF his county in
the same businesslike way that he
would examine his own personal af-
fairs, he would be conscious of the
fact that piling up this indebtedness
means still greater burdens in the
future.
It may be all right for q municipal
| ity to issue bonds against its water
plant or its power plant, which in
turn produces revenue to pay the in
terest. and ultimately to pay of the
debt, but when bonds and warrants
are issued, as they have been, with
q lavish hand. for the past four years,
for carrying on the everyday ex-
pense of o county or school dis
trict, it becomes q serious menace.
Let Sound Business Principles
Govern. There is no question but
that many things are needful and
necessary to be done, but it is pure
financial folly to burden the tax
payers with assessments beyond his
ability to stand. It would BE- wiser
to 60 slow and return to the old-time
practice of paying as you go.
Especially is this true in periods oi
depression. which everyone will have
to admit has been characteristic oi
conditions in Western Washington
for the past four years, when practic'
ally everybody's income has been ma
terially decreased, and there has been
q shrinkage in the supposed value oi
property, and yet that during all this
epoch. not only the tax levies, but
indebtedness OF the counties, have
been increasing at q rate which is
not only alarming. but absolutely al
variance with good bus iness manage
ment.
There is no question about the ulti'
mate resources of this country. but
nothing will stop its continued pro-
gress faster than o burdensome and
excessive tax situation; nothing will
drive away capital and immigration
more certainly. and an excessive tax
burden will not mean the ultimate
prosperity Of any district.
A drift which is even more alarm
ing and dangerous is noticeable in
many counties where warrants have
been issued in excess of legal limits
fixed by the statutes. The Attorney
General has repeatedly held that
warrants issued for road work in ex'
cess of the tax levy are illegal.
1t it not time to shape our plans tt
suit our conditions, and especially te
insist that under no circumstances
shall the legal limitations OF indebt
ness which q county or school dis.
trict are allowed to incur be exceeded
To do otherwise means chaos, anC
q tax situation which would be 9
grievous burden for every property
owner.
STATE TAXPAYERS LEAGUE.
Seattle. March 10, 1912.