Rogue River courier. (Grants Pass, Or.) 1886-1927, 1912-01-12
STATE TAX COMMISSION HITS
HARD BLOW.
COUNTY LEVY IS Is MILLS
Figures for 1910 Were s17,1s2.os;
for 1911 They Read $780,
1880.

The state tax commission, as a
state board of equalization. has hit
Josephine county hard blow, as the
board has raised the amount that
Josephine must pay into the state
treasury in the form of taxes to
startling figures compared to the fig
ures OF last year. For 1910 the state
board set the figures at $17,lS2.9S;
for 1911 the figures, which have just
been received here, total s3S,193.50,
an increase of 125 per cent.
Why this terrific raise is not
known, said County Assessor Eclus
Pollock, Saturday afternoon to a
representative of The Courier, un-
less it is intended as punishment, or
rather belief that Josephine coun-
ty property was not being assessed
at sufficient figures. Mr.. Pollock
states that he cannot recall any
great increase in state Indebtedness
or appropriations that would demand
such a high figure for this and 9TH
er counties. But, he says, he is OF
the opinion that all counties were
likewise raised out of their boots.
However, there is a possibility
that Josephine county is suspected
of not assessing Its property high
enough. The following article in
the Oregonian of Thursday of the
past week is significant. That ar
ticle reads as follows:
SALEM, Or, Jan. Especial
AS an example of applications
which are made to the state land
board for loans table has been pre-
pared for Governor West indicating
the applications recently made frox
Josephine county. Out of total o.
is loans asked for the total amounts
asked reach s24,75O, The attorney
appraisement of the value of the
land which was to have been secur
ity for these loans was $112,0O(
while the assessed valuation az
shown by the books of the assessor
was s19,5S7
Some marked instances of sim
liar discrepancies are, apparent. Fo
Instance in ore case the attorney ap
praised land as valued at $4,000
when the assessed valuation is onl!
. $3.50 In another the appraisemen
was $4,000, when the assessed val
uation was only $S325. Similar con
ditions exist in other counties anC
the state land board is taking step
to remedy it if possible"
Regarding the property mentionet
as assessed at only $3.50 when tn
owners attorney appraised it, so al
legged, at $4,000, Mr.. Pollock state
that the owner told him he had beel
trying to sell it for $4,000, but ha'
now reduced it to $4,000, and wa
seeking buyer at that figure.
Mr.. Pollock remarked to TIL
Courier that of course attorneys seek
ing loans for clients would, in tha
instance, set as high valuation o.
the properties as they thought woul
stick and that surely the state ia
commission would not take thos
figures into consideration in fixing
county's taxes.
County Levy tS Mills.
The county court Saturday fixe
the levy for 1911 at 1S mills. Fo
1910 It was II mills. The total as
sessed valuation of the county
now s10,5O5,6 $50. Two elements Ell
ter into this total. One is the az
sessment OF the county assessor N.
Pollock's assessments in the count
tote sS,66S,605; the public ut'litle
.oarl's assessments on railroad
telegraph and telephone companie
electric light company and othe
minor utilities doing an lnter-coul
ty business. foots up s1,S37,OS
isis latter total has just been r.
ceived from Salem. The two, VI
Polloek's and the public utilitic
board, make up the total Of si0.505
6Se