Aberdeen herald. [volume] (Aberdeen, Chehalis County, W.T.) 1886-1917, 1912-08-15
TIMBER OWNERS
PROTEST CRUISE
Tax Commissioner Rockwell
Takes Hand in Timber
Equalization
SOME THREATEN LAW
Rockwell Tells Them Courts
Are Place to Go, Not the
Equalization Board
SOME THREATEN LAW

MONTESANO, Aug. 15.-(Special)
i mess the county equalization
board. now in session, will make a
reduction in both the value placed
on timber lands in certain localities.
10 conform with the price in adioiu-,
ing townships, and also cut the cruise
proportlonately on sections or quar-
ter sections of timber, whereon the
county cruise runs higher than the
cruise of the timber owners, the mat
ter will be taken into the courts and
an effort made to set aside por-
tion OF the cruise. This yelled threat
was made before the equalization
board here today by f. b. Palmer,
tax agent for the Puget Mill company
and Rainier Investment company, and
George w. Long, head representative
or the Weyerhauser timber company.
Perhaps the fairest proposition ever
put before the equalization board in
the county was made by Mark Reed.
representing the Simpson Logging
company Of Mason county. Mr.. Reed
asked that the valuation on timber
in 2o-1 and 21-7 be reduced to the
same value as the timber in 21-S.
winch Is assessed at so cents Der
thousand and his timber at 81. He
also asked that the county arrive at
fair estimate of the timber on pro.
tested sections. for taxation purposes
this year and then have the sections
recrulsed next year by cruiser se-
lected by the county. his company
to pay half, and this cruise taken as
the basis of taxation in the future.
Here State Tax Commissioner r.
ID. Rockwell, who was present. sug-
gested that the county arrive at a
1alr basis of timber for taxation Dur-
poses this year and the cruise TO he
made next year. as suggested by Mr..
Reed and if the cruise shows that
the Simpson Logging company had
not paid sufficient taxes this year. the
additional amount be made a supple-
mental assessment next year. which
was agreed to by Mr.. Reed
Nell Cooney, representing the
Grays Harbor Commercial company.
also agreed to this plan, which will
likely be adopted by the board.
Another point in question was rel
ative to the value of dead timber and
tlmbermen took exceptions to the
stand taken by others. The meeting
reminded one more of loggers con-
vention. than an equalization board.
and great part of the afternoon was
taken in talking over logging opera
tlons, holdups, the value of timber
and other matters.
MI Reed was the first speaker and
in a clear concise manner, he pre-
sented his fair proposition to the
equalization board. He said town
ship 21-S was practically township OF
green timber and it's value for a.
sessment purposes was but 80 cents.
while 21-7 and 2O-7 had been burned
over to a great extent and was not
any more available now than the
other timber.
He objected to the cruise made by
Morarity and asked that the county
nx an estimate for taxation purposes
this year. He also asked that the
taxation value on dead timber he
stricken from the rolls as the timber
had no marketable value, some trees
cutting out we'll, while a majority
We're worthless.
Tom Bordeaux, of the Mason coun-
ty Logging company, stated that there
was difference of 11S,O0O, 900 feet
OF timber between the cruise made
by the county and the cruise held
by his company. He asked that the
board reduce the county cruise %
per cent
Cliff NJ. WeatherWax sided with Mr..
Reed in asking that timber in 20-9.
2o-S and 2l-S be reduced to so cents
per thousand for taxation purposes.
lie SAID that dead timber had no val
ue and all timber had been entered
and assessed regardless of it's loca-
tlon and 1t was not fair to assess one
man 81 and another 80 cents Der
thousand
Palmer Reads Riot Act
Mr.. Palmer, representing the sec
ond largest timber owners in Chehalis
county, took exception to the state
ments made by Mr.. Reed regarding
the value of dead timber He said:
II believe that where a whole or
quarter section of timber has been
killed by fire it has some value. all
depending on the length of time it
has been killed, but it is the dead tim.
Der throughout green timbered ser
tions thar has no relative value.
Dead fir should not be assessed.
but | believe that dead. down cedar
has a value and should be assessed
In reference to the cruise, will saw
mat have heard it was made bv
a very competent man, but when tim
Der owners hold cruises which are %
per cent less than those returned bv
the county under the same identical
conditions, the cruisers must have
gone under different instructions.
know of timber cruise within three
years on quarter section that the
county found 100000 feet more than
the owners This has shaken nv con-
fidence in the cruise and have not
a great deal of confidence in it. No
equalization occurred in the work.
You did not send out a man to check