Aberdeen herald. [volume] (Aberdeen, Chehalis County, W.T.) 1886-1917, 1913-08-29

OF WTOuSIy, Is ScucIdIH CIcuiIcu Will
having advised the combination of Alb
erdeen bills, known as the City Re-
tail Lumber Co., to make united
fight against the assessment Of the
mills this year, issues statement in
the Aberdeen World that is an insult
to the intelligence of the readers of
that paper. The long statement reads
like a lawyers plea to an ignorant
jury. He begins with this calamity
wall:
"The mills of Grays Harbor were
treated with gross injustice by the
Assessors Office this year. The
Board of Equalization, led by Locke
deliberately refused to remedy this
injustice. A great industry, the only
industry we have, and without which
Grays Harbor cities would be nothing
but deserted villages, has been treat
ed shamefully by official Chehalis
County. The principles of syndica
lism and sabotage were applied. Thai
is putting it little harsh, but
can call it by no other name."
While Mr. Hogan centers his fire or
Assessor Wiley and COMMISSIONS
Locke, he accuses five sworn officers
of conspiring to destroy the main in
dustry Of Chehalis county; and the
joke is, he really expects some will
believe it. Fortunately stenographit
record was kept of the entire pro
ceedings of the board of equalization
which will show the absurd falsity o.
almost the entire story of Attorney
Hogan.
The Facts in the Case
There are AZ lumber and shingle
mills in Chehalis county, and the rec
ord shows that only eleven of then
lumber on hand. The other eight made
some of those are said to have beer
rather forced into the game by the
action of the Aberdeen combination
OF those eleven, three protested only
as regarded the quantity of logs and
lumbr on hand. The other eight made
blanket protests. The protests on
material were adjusted equitably, and
the Herald is informed to the salts
faction of the mills interested. Thus
we find eight out of AZ mills max.
ing all this noise, and putting Che
halls county to needless expense.
All who are familiar with the work
of Assessor Wiley and his deputies
on Grays Harbor are aware of the
difficulties they met with, and know
that the cost was five times what
it would have been had the officers
been met with spirit of fairness, and
obedience to the law.
The Law In the Matter
We know it is presumption for a
layman to quote law to lawyer, but
the tax law of the state is written
in plain English so that all may un-
derstand it. This law requires the
assessor to list ALL property, not
exempt by law. and requires the own
er or person in charge to furnish
the assessor with this list. Special
sections of the law are made to ap-
ply to manufacturing establishments.
After describing who shall be held
to be a manufacturer, the law says:
"He shall when yequired to make
and deliver to the assessor state.
ment of the amount of his personal
property subject to taxation, also in.
clude in his statement the value of
all articles purchased, received or 9th
erwise held for the purpose of being
used, in whole or in part, in any
process or operation of manufactur-
ing. Every person owning manu-
featuring establishment of any kind,
and every manufacturer, shall list, as
part of his manufacturers stock, the
value of all engines and machinery of
every description used or designed
to be used in any process of manu-.
featuring, except such fixtures as have
been considered as part of any par
eel of real property, including all tools
and implements Of every kind used
or designed to be used for the afore-
said purpose"
Another section of this law applies
to companies. 1t requires the person
in charge of a company to make out
and deliver to the assessor a sworn
statement of its property, giving the