Aberdeen herald. [volume] (Aberdeen, Chehalis County, W.T.) 1886-1917, 1912-07-18
Resolution of Commissioner Wilson, Calling for
Investigation OF County Tax Frauds, Is
Defeated by Majority of Board
TRY TO RECOVER MONEY ALREADY STOLEN
Investigation Appears to Be Feared in Official
CirCleS--- Taxpayers Must Organize and
Force a Square Deal in Taxes

ly to have been repeated at will
throughout the county, the strenuous
opposition to an investigation may be
accounted for. Following are the as
sessed valuations of the section since
1908
19OS-Assessed valuation, $1O,240.
Taxes S3l4,51.
19O9-Assessed valuation, $10,240-
Taxes S429.47.
1910-Assessed valuation, $4,000,
reduced in assessors office to $4,000,
taxes S97.41
19l1-Assessed valuation. $4,000.
Taxes, Sl06.65.
1912-Assessed value, after being
cruised. S19.409. Taxes not yet fixed
Assessor Jones Butts In.
F. E. Jones, present county assess
or, is in nowise affected by the fraud
of 1910. in the section above noted
the alterations of the rolls having
been made before his term of office
began, Yet Assessor Jones felt called
upon Monday to oppose the inveStiga-
ton, according to MOntesanO dis
atch printed in the Aberdeen World.
Mr.. Jones is quoted as saying that
mo reductions had been made except
those thar he, as assessor, had a right
to make" This being true, it be-
comes somewhat difficult to fathom
the motives OF Mr.. Jones in Oppos-
ing the Investigation that could do
him no harm. and might clear his
chief deputy who admits making al
terations that have been proved fraud.
ulent. 1 he Herald will cheerfully give
space to the reasons of Mr.. Jones for
this opposition if he cares to use it
Taxpayers Awaken.
Nothing in the history of Chehalis
county has SO disturbed the slumbers
OF the patient, grumblng taxpayers
of the county as has this exposure
of tax lodging by the Herald. Taxes
have been Oh the constant increase,
as the county grew in population.
and became a serious burden, but,
thinking he was paying but his share.
the average citizen growled a little,
paid his bill and forgot taxes for an
other year. When, two years ago.
the state tax commission found that
the assessed valuation Of Cnehalis
county was but 81 per cent of it's ac-
tual value and doubled it's state tax
es, the average taxpayer wondered
who it was that escaped with a FL
not He now knows that the low
average was created by the assess
ment Of his holdings at from 40 to
60 per cent. while the timber lands
escaped with tax on a valuation OF
from 3 to 10 per cent.
The refusal of the county commits
siOners to investigate an admitted
fraud upon every other taxpayer in
the county, dismisses any hope for
reform in those practices through the
officials elected and sworn to care
for the interests of the public, hence,
action outside of those whose duty it
should be becomes necessary, il re-
lief would be secured. The Taxpay-
ers' League has now been organized
in Aberdeen and Hoquiam, and an
organizer will shortly visit the east
ern parts of the county to form branch
leagues This organization, il prop
erly supported, can be made the
means of securing as equitable a dis
tribution of the burden of govern
ment in Chehalis county as is pOssi-
BILE under the present system Of taxa
ton To accomplish this desirable re-
suit, the cooperation of every taxpay-
er of moderate means is not only de-
sirable but necessary. The cost will
be trifflng compared with the saving
effected, not only in the levy of taxes
but in the reckless expenditure OF
public money as we'll