Aberdeen herald. [volume] (Aberdeen, Chehalis County, W.T.) 1886-1917, 1913-10-28
TAX IMMUNITY
IS SUGGESTED
Would Suspend Operations Of
Law in Behalf Of Large
Holders of Timber
HOW ABOUT THE OTHERS?
Timber Interests Fight Hard
Against Paying Just Pro-
portion of Taxes

The following is list of one
hundred and seven of the heav-
lest taxpayers in Chehalis county,
principally in the numbering busi
ness. This class has been held
up by some, either maliciously or
ignorantly, as the tax dodgers of
Chehalis county. These one hun
dred and seven are paying good
deal over one-half of the taxes
of Chehalis county, as can be
seen by the list.
There are hundreds of others
owning timber and in the lumber
business that are not on this list,
who are good, substantial tax
payers.
This is simply to show where
the burden of the taxes are lev
led. 1t is also a well known fact
that the lumber industry is not
now, and has not for some time,
been paying expenses, and if the
taxes are still to be increased so
as to force this product, which
is now paying the taxes, off the
ground, where will he taxes come
from in a few years?
The foregoing preamble appeared
in the Hoquiam Washingtonian of
Sunday morning over the names of a
list of large taxpayers in the county,
under the caption, "A Hundred Men
Pay Over Half Total Tax" Aside
from it's value as a news item, the
purpose of the article would be OBJ
scure we're it not for the preamble,
which makes it plain. The inter-
lection of a number of concerns, in
Guiding the three railroads, which are
not to any extent engaged N the
timber business, and who have never
been termed "Tax Dodgers" was prob
ably done to place the real offenders
in good company, to give tone to the
crowd.
Tax Oodging Fine Art.
One is led to infer from the article
under consideration that some degree
of tax immunity was due to holders
OF large properties, but with this idea
the Herald is unable to agree. Gov
ernment is for the protection of life
and property, and it's cost is met by
taxing the latter. The laws of the
state provide that all property, not
exempt by law, be taxed at uniform
rate according to value. and that law
has never yet been complied with in
Chehalis county
The standing timber in Chehalis
county has never borne the same rate
of taxation as other classes of prop
erty. and it's holders, mostly non-resi-
dents, succeeded for years in prevent
ing an appraisal of timber for taxa
tion purposes. The Herald has. very
frequently used the term tax dodger''
although never maliciously or igndr.
antly. On the contrary, it was used
advisedly, and with the evidence at
hand for its JustlncatlOn.
This paper found in the records of
the State Tax Commission the sworn
testimony of county officials to the
effect that the numbering interests
were, and always had been, favored
in Chehalis county as against the mer
chant, farmer small land holders and
other interests. In battling against
this unlawful and unjust favoritism
for nearly twenty years, the writer
became aware Of the strong influences
that appeared biennially to control
the election of subservient taxing Of
ficials, and that it was only through
the falling out of two of those S. t..
o.'s that a cruise of the timber was
secured after ten years of agitation
What Cruise Revealed.
The revelations of the cruise stag
gered the incredulous, when it show
ed sections of timber on the assess
ment rolls at from $4,000 to $4,000.
that were worth from 100000 to
$150.O00 and thousands of acres of
the best kind Of timber on the rolls
as burned over lands. 1t was shown
in the Herald last year that the mere
assertion of the tax agent of the
Weyerhaeuser Timber Co. that certain
lands were burney over was authority
for deputy assessor to alter the rolls
after being made up-in way that
defrauded the county of 1880 in two
years taxes. But, why continue
This was no isolated case. Chehalis
county for more than twenty years
has been governed by nonresident
tax dodgers. who threw a little sop
to smaller fry residing here in order
to secure the election of the right"