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


Wmtcom .................. 2.16
whitman Z.Z2
Yakima 49,. ........... 2.12
Clallam .................. 2.11
We see that twenty Of the counties
have been assessed exactly at the
same ratio. based on the one hun
bred per cent. value, lie. 2.11, and
none Of the counties are very far out
Of the way. ayr = + ~ fa
We hope very much that we have
been able to make plain some of tn.
very complex situations surrounding
the question of taxation in this state
II there Is any particular thing about
which you would like more informa.
ton, or which you would like to have
more clearly elucidated, we assure
you it will be the pleasure of this
Board to give you the desired infor.
nation, or give it to any person or
persons interested in this great sub
ject. We entertain the hope that the
time will soon come when the people
Of this state will give more attention
to the subject Of taxation than they
have in the past, when they will be
willing to pay the assessor and his
deputies reasonable salaries and when
they will demand of these officers
passing upon the property rights OF
every person in the county a strict
adherence to duty and the necessary
ability, and regard for fairness and
justice, that all the property of the
county may be assessed upon a fair
and just basis. The Office of assessor
is hard one to fill. He Is impor.
tuned by friends to neglect his duty
and he is damned by. enemies If he
performs it.. Counties generally are
willing to pay liberal salaries to Off
GERS whose duty 1t is to pay out the
county's money, but they deal in a
most parsimonious manner with those
officers whose duty it is to bring the
money in. The assessment Of prop.
erty requires the highest type of citi.
this technical work. When this class
of citizens should be employed in
this techinacl work. When this class
Of talent is employed, it should be
properly remunerated, and people
generally of the county should rem.
der such aid and assistance to the as.
sessing Officer as will help him in
doing exact justice. ~ ~
Hoping that you may feel at liber'
ty to use this letter in whatever way
you may think it will do good, with
great respect,
| Yours truly,
STATE BOARD OF TAX COMMITS
SIONERS,
BY T. D. ROCKWELL.
February 26. 1912. Commissioner.
The reader will observe that this
letter was written by the official
board of tax commissioners, without
a dollars worth of interest at stake
in Chehalis county. The self-respect.
ing reader will blush for his county
upon a close reading. Without max
ing accusations, it convicts Chehalis
county of being the banner Tax
Dodger county of the state. Not a
very attractive reputation that, Ell!
what?
Applying the Remedy
Acting upon the suggestion of the
state commission, the Chehalis Coun.
ty Taxpayers League was organized
at Hoquiam on the evening of March
1, 1912, with Judge c. w. Hodgdon
president, Hon. Sidney Moor Heath
secretary and Phil 8. Locke. A. c,
Girard and o. M. Nelson directors
The league got busy at once. and cir
culated the letter printed above from
the state tax commission and circu'
lated 1t throughout the county, with
the gratifying result that it caused
the average taxpayer to scrutinize his
payment with that of his neighbor
Another application of the remedy
was accomplished in the election OF
Robert A. Wiley as assessor and Phil
S.. Locke as county commissioner
with Jerry A. McGillicuddy, Jr., as
county treasurer, and ex-officio mem
Der Of the board of equalization, and
e. t.. 1f-k~ ~
this county, we have today board
of equalization that really wants to
equalize, not discriminate.
Ancient, But Interesting
It may not be generally known just
how the county assessor and county
treasurer became members of the
board of equalization, and, as it is a
good story, the Herald will relate