Aberdeen herald. [volume] (Aberdeen, Chehalis County, W.T.) 1886-1917, 1913-09-19
COMPARISON IS
UNFAIRLY DRAWN
Attempt to Show Farmer
Favored Against Timberman
Not Substantiated
TIMBER VS.. FARM VALUES
Comparison Is Unfair---Farm
Extolled and Timber De-
pressed for Effect

The Montesano correspondent of
the Aberdeen World and Hoquiam
Washingtonian, has sent his papers
this week a labored article, showing
how the farmers of the county have
turned the tables on the timber own
ers, and wrested from the latter their
time honored title of TAX Dodgers"
BY a sort of photographic contortion,
he proves that the man who purchas-
ed 800 acres of timber land 20 year
ago for about $4,000, is being wrong
ed by the farmer whose land has
been cleared by the unremittent toll
of so years, wearing out two genera
tions in the process.
To prove the allegation, he says:
ITO illustrate this, take the values
and taxes assessed against timber
lands in township 16 range 6, said
to be one of the best timber town.
ships in the state of Washington,
and compare with agricultural lands
in the Chehalis river bottom between.
Satsop and Montesano, said to be the:
best agricultural lands in Chehalis
county. One good piece of timber in
the south half of section 16 is own
ed by Martin j. Mcpherson and
others. 1t has, according to the coun
ty cruise, 2s,350,OOO feet of merchant
able timber. Last year it was as
sessed at a valuation of $21,S00 and
this year $1,00S68 was paid into the
treasurer in taxes.
No one owner has half a section
of cleared lands in the district of
river bottom chosen, but for the
purpose of comparison, 1S tracts con-
tanning in all 584 acres, 496 acres of
which are cleared, were selected
from the holdings of Edward F.
Foster, Geo. Wood and Lucy Ann
Oberg. The total tax on this best of
agricultural land 584 acres includ-
ing improvements this year, was 1855.
real estate man in Montesano, is con-
ceded to be the most valuable for ag.
ricultural purposes in the county. The
lowest rental value placed on such
land by any real estate man seen
was $40 an acre for the cleared land,
which would give this property an
earning power of $4,96O a year. There
were some who placed the rental
value of such lands at 500 an acre.
Its value is generally estimated at
about 5000 an acre. which would make
the 584 acres worth more than $780,
OO0"
An Unfair Comparison
The comparison shows bad faith on
its face. To begin with, half Sec
tion of land in 1876 with 20 million
feet of timber, accessible to two rail-
roads and two rivers is assessed en-
tirely too low, at $21,S00. Quite re-
Gently the west half of Section 1920
s, situated on a creek near the Wish
kah river, 80 miles above Aberdeen,
and 20 miles above tide water sold
for 100000 with but 100000 feet of
timber according to the county cruise.
The correspondent holsters up his
statement with the assertion of a
timber cruiser that half section
of good timber can be had in 1876 for
$3.50 a thousand feet Whoever has
that timber for sale is keeping it very
quiet, for if it was known it would
be quickly snapped up, unless the
owners family had a guardian ap-
pointed for him in order to conserve
his estate, alleging imbicility. 6
But, assuming that the valuation
on the timber land is correct, we beg
to suggest that the correspondent look
over the rolls for twenty years back
and make public the amount of tax
es that has been paid on this land,
which has increased 1000 per cent
in value without the slightest effort
on the part of the owner, or the dis
bursement of dollar except for tax
es.
And do likewise on the farm lands
and announce the result. The Wood
and Oberg farms have been settled
upon nearly or quite fifty years, and
the Foster lands twenty-five years.
Two generations of hardy settlers
have devoted lives of toll to the
clearance and cultivation of these
lands, spending every dollar received
above bare living in the work until
very recent years, and for every acre
they improved they were immediate
ly penalized in additional taxes to
build roads, erect school houses and
support the state and county govevrn-
ment.
If in making this comparison of