The Seattle star. [volume] (Seattle, Wash.) 1899-1947, 1913-10-11

What's tho matter with sca,,lcT
Well. for one thing. we pay ~
mills.
The tas burden 10 too heavy ard
II 10 IneauIssbly distributed.
And our tar syIor' 10 an,iauated,
but
We can't do anything about II. be
cause
The state constitution WON'T let
ia. Therefore
We must amend the constitution.
or. better still
Kick the whole precious but YER
bose document into q discard. and
get . brand new one--s shors. snap-
py comprehensive constitution,
about 10 words long
II was. therefore. resolved and
adopted. with unanimity and en-.
thusiAsm. NJ the meeting OF the
State Tax Reform league. az the
Commercial Club last night. that
the league Join with other orranlKa.
tons In making a statewide cam
paign to secure just and equitable
taxation.
Tho leagues meeting was subsii-
tuted for The Stars What's the
Matter With SeattlcF" congress and
quiz. and many who would have at
tended tho congress. II Il had been
held. went TO the tar debate In.
stead.
The speaker OF the evening wna
r. u Rockwell former chairman Of
the state tax commission Other
speakers we're John G. Rathbun and
Col J. " Hawthorne. Hugh G. Todd
presided. and Charles q fIeifner.
Oliver T. Erickson. Congressman ].
W Bryan. Otto A. Case and others
we're drawn into the discussion.
There must be- two reasons why
taxes are too high.
First. some folks pay too little.
Second. Ne spend too much,
An illustration OF paying too III.
tic:
The Northern Pacific and the
woyerheuser people years ago re-
cciyed aa n gift from the govern
ment vast tracts OF timber land In
the state. Between them they nov
hold about 500 900 acres.
This land cannot be taxed until
Il has been surveyed. Perhaps n
dozen years ago the survey was
started II has been diddling along
ever since No one knows why the
Job isn't finished Nobody seems
able 10 find ont. Congressman Bry.
an assured the meeting that he had
written and written and written.
when you begin asking quos-
tons" he said. they 30 out and sur
vey an acre or two"
Now. suppose those 100000 acres
were on the tax rolls. Suppose the
owners we're paying ~ mills taxes
on a valuation OF $40 an acre.
Then the Northern Pacific and
the Weyerheusers would contribute
between them an additional 1896
600 10 the maintenance OF the state
government
And you--the collective you
Nbhlu phfF II ~ tfaSohhbiF w sur
pose. that much less.
The University OF Washington
o WINS 100000 acres. II is worth
$4,000 900 A small part Of It is
farming land In the eastern part of
the state. Most OF II is this side OF
the mountains fine timber land.
The regents hang onto II. II Is
gathering "unearned increment"
but II is paying no dividends. And
II isn't taxable
II the regents sold that land II
would 30 on the tax rolls. It's new
owners would have to pay quite
s250.0o0 year taxes on It. so that
much. at least. Is lost TO the state.
And the regents would have So
100000. the money paid for the land
The interest on s5.000,000 at 8 per
cent is t250000.
That sum annually would nearly
pay the running expenses of the uni.
versity. which you--the collective
you-now pay out OF the ~ mills on
the dollar that you are assessed for
the privilege OF owning home of
your own.
What ls anybody going to do
about IT.
Rockwell. for ono. has n concrete
plan.