Aberdeen herald. [volume] (Aberdeen, Chehalis County, W.T.) 1886-1917, 1912-08-22

MONTESANO, Aug. 2l-Special.) y
Behind closed doors, from which
secret session the general public, and
also Prosecuting Attorney Campbell
was excluded. the Equalization board
yesterday voted not to disturb the
cruise OF the county, as returned by
Chief Cruiser McGilicuddy. but the
vote carried with it a proyiso to re-
cruise certain sections in question and
to have them right for the 1913
tax rolls The secret session
was held at the request Of
Commissioner Willis G. Hopkins.
who seemed to be looking after the in
terests OF the Weyerhaeuser Timber
company more than that of the other
taxpayers of Chehalis county.
That the timber cruise was not dis
credited only resulted after Commits.
sioners Hopkins and Davis had fail
ed to swing County Treasurer W.
b, Paine into line, and. finally failing
to do this, they too voted to allow
the cruise to stand
Now, whether these two county Of
ficials Will repudiate their acts Of
placing the price of timber III va
rious localities for taxation purposes,
mains to be seen. This will probably
come before the board today. ana if
Treasurer Paine remains pat, their
attempt will fail
Campbell! Makes FIGHT
Yesterdays session was perhaps one
of the stOrmiest in the history of the
county, Prosecuting Attorney William
Z. Campbell making the fight for the
people of the county. He was opposed
on every hand by George S. Long,
representing the Weyerhaeuser inter
est, and f. b. Palmer. representing
the Puget Mill company and the Rain
Ter Investment company second larg-
est timber owners in Chehalis county,
these two men being assisted by Com
missioner Hopkins.
Campbell had been sent for by two
members of the equalization board,
and his entry into the fight was bit
terly resented by Hopkins and Davis
The battle started when Mr.. Long
made a statement of alleged facts 60
the board, stating that the county
cruise did not give his company a
square deal. He showed report after
report, where the county had found
more timber on his holdings than his
own cruisers.
He urged that the board reduce the
cruise and make a recruise of which
cost his company would stanl one
half He also agreed to a supple
mental assessment, if the recrlse
showed he had escaped taxation. in
fact his agreement was the same as
made by Mark Reed, Neil Cooney AMI |
others at the meeting held last week. |
"The place to test the accuracy of |
this cruise is not here stated Camp
bell, but in the courts. If you think !
YOU are not getting square deal, file !
your suits in the courts and if you !
can prove your contention. you will |
get the reduction.
You are here objecting TO this |
cruise and you seek to ask this board |
to disregard a cruise, which has cost
the taxpayers of this county $4,000 |
and accept your cruise instead
in other words, you take the po
sitiOn that the county. after spending /
a vast sum OF money, should prove its ,
cruise right. File Your suits. then /
you must show the court that Y7ui /
timber on that tract of land is not .
worth what II is assessed at.
"A cruise is only an estimate, it .
might oyerrun or underrun. No TWO .
men viii get it alike, but the dat .
terence in the price you are paying
as a valuation on stumpage, Will Off
set any over cruise"
A cIaring Example
81 want 10 show the equalization
hoard an a,.or1t1a of my contention