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

NNOut1uUCQ rake Ou0I,
law contemplated. In the equaliza.
ton of the property of this state, the
State Board of Tax Commissioners
went to every county in the State
and took testimony with regard to
the value Of property actually sold
We did not take testimony from ex.
perts, but only from grantor or gran.
tee or the agent conducting the sale
and this testimony, of course, was
under oath. When all the testimony
had been gathered, the proper county
official was called upon to certify to
the Board the assessed value of the
different pieces of property inquired
about, and in this way the ratio Of
assessed to actual value was obtain
ed.
This testimony in Chehalis county
for the year 1910, showed ratio OF
assessed to actual value of 20.17
Much criticism Of this Board was in.
dulged in and some very harsh things
were said, but we think we can dem.
onstrate to any fair-minded person
that the Board acted honestly. fairly
and Justly. and made a correct yer.
dict. We have the sworn testimony
of the then assessor. Mr.. Carter. to
the effect that he had not tried to
assess the mills at more than ten per
cent. of their value. and~that the prop.
erty generally Of the County was as
sessed at less than twenty per cent.
of its value. This testimony was cor.
rohorated by DR.. Watkins. who was at
that time chairman Of the board of
equalization Of Chehahs County. We
also have the testimony on file, which
ID open to public inspection, Of a
great number of the best citizens Of
Chehalis County. all going to the
same effect. These valuations we're
not changed to any appreciable ex.
tent for 1910 from 1908, when Mr..
Carter and DR.. Watkins made these
statements, and we have the certi-
ficate of Mr.. F. E. Jones that for 1910
the property of Chehalis County was
assessed at 1877 per cent. Mr.. Jones'
figures are in our office and can be
seen by anyone interested. Members
Of this Board, in conversation with
citizens Of Chehalis County, have been
able to verify this finding from state.
ment made very recently.
What does the county gain by this
low valuation? II this Board is able
to find out what the proportion Of as
sessed to actual value really is, un.
der our system of equalization, SO
far as the payment of state tax is
concerned, it makes not a particle Of
difference. II the merchant, the home
owner, the mechanic and the farmer,
desire to assist the mills and timber
interests in the payment of their taxes
this Board thinks they have a per.
feet right to do So, but they should
not expect aid along this line from
other counties, and we will use our
best endeavors to protect the other
counties against such a condition.
This low and unequal valuation OF
the property Of your county works
against the sufferers In more than
one way. For instance, 1t not only
increase the taxes on certain classes
of property in the county, but it de.
prives the county by actual calucula'
ton of over $4,000 in taxes every
year that they would receive from the
public service properties. The law
requires this Board, In fixing the val
ue of the railroads, to value them al
the same proportion of their value as
has been taken by the assessor for
the general mass Of property Of the
county. The average ratio Of valua'
ton for the state is 1898, the ratio
for Chehalis County for the year 1911
is 2617, which reduces the value Of
the railroads and telegraph lines
from $3,051.733 to $1.e97.593, a loss
on the present rate of levy Of $50,
232, in actual money.
Timber Cruise
1t is with much qualification that
we note that q cruise Of the timber
of Chehalis County is now being
made and we sincerely hope it will
be a thorough and a just, one. II a
reasonable value is placed upon the
timber Of Chehalis County, it will
make vast difference in its taxes
Some of it. no doubt, is. now assess
ed at what 1t should be, but much oil
it is assessed at only very small
proportion of it's actual value. With
out cruise, any assessment could
be at best only poor guess. We are
hoping for better things from Cheha
lis County this year. and we very
much dosiro a more even and ouuita