Aberdeen herald. [volume] (Aberdeen, Chehalis County, W.T.) 1886-1917, 1913-08-15


gress in Chehalis County, Washing
ton at the present moment, OF which
many OF the readers Of the Herald
are either unacQuainted or indiffer.
ent. You can get q man rattled in
q minute over the tarin-when in all
likelihood his total payment under
the tariff win not reach $1,000 a
year. Take the same man and ask
him how much he is being skinned"
each year through local taxation, and
he is as silent 40 a clam, because
he don't know.
For years Chehalis county has been
rated among the counties of the state
as a goat" in the hands Of unscru.
pulous herders. This statement is
not calamity howl OF the Herald.
but is . certified fact. In saying Ger
tified," we do 1t advisedly. The high
est authority in the state has made
the certification. As preliminary to
what is to follow, we quote from a
letter. dated February 2e, 1912, from
the state board Of tax commissioners
Read It; and ric& the tax dodgers.
We quote:
Hon. Phil 8. Locke, Aberdeen. Wash.
ington.
My Dear Sir:
We have your letter with reference
to taxation matters in general and
more particularly applicable to Che
halls County. In dealing with the
subject Of taxation, one difficulty al
ways confronts us-if we make the
explanation short enough to be inter-
esting, we do not cover the ground
we should; If we make it long enough
to fully explain the subject few peo-
pie pay any attention to it.
The law requires this Board to
make biennial reports, copies of
which are to be furnished each mem
ber of the legislature, and this we
have done three times since the or
ganizatfon Of the State Board of Tax
Commissioners. II one per cent. Of
the members Of the legislature ever
read even part Of one of these re-
ports, 1t would be gratifying to this
Board, but they are no different from
the people. The subject of taxation
interests the everyday man probably
twice in each year-the day that the
assessor calls upon him to fix the
amount Of his assessment and the
day he calls upon the treasurer to pay
his taxes. There seems, however, to
be somewhat Of an awakening alorg
the lines of political economy. We
very much hope that such interest
will be taken, in the subject of taxa.
tion especially, as will bring about
a study Of these important questions
to the end that the people may be
better advised and informed.
Loseed.om Lands
The subject Of the taxation of the
cutover lands Of this state has en-.
gagged much Of the attention of this
Board, and 1t presents 80 many diff
cult questions that 1t is hard one
with which to deal. The fact that
a large part Of this character Of prop
erty is held by large corporations,
who decline to place the same upon
the market, is one Of the, difficult
phases of the question. These large
holders, Of course, recognize the fact
that the time is coming when this
land from which the valuable timber
has been removed will be very large
asset in their business. A phi'a1-
thropic treatment of the question
would cause them to sell this land
at low price to bona fde settlers
and home-builders. thus aiding in the
development and upbuilding Of the
state. But philanthropy has not US.
ually been regarded as one of the
powers or duties enumerated In ar
ticles of incorporation.
The question with US, however. is
how are we to treat this property with
regard to taxation. We can not tax
that held by the corporations at one
value and that held by the struggling
settler at another, and thus force the
large holdings upon the market. But