Aberdeen herald. [volume] (Aberdeen, Chehalis County, W.T.) 1886-1917, 1913-05-09
TAX PROBLEM IS
BEING SOLVED.
Chehalis County Taxpayers
League Pats Itself on the
Back Over Results
ADDITIONS TO THE ROLLS
Tax Rolls Of 1913 Will Exceed
Those Of 1912 by More
Than Ten Millions

The results of the assessment of the
county, now nearing completion, are a
source of qualification to the Chehalis
County Taxpayers League, which was
organized about one year ago. The
object of the league, as expressed in
its hand book, was to secure a just
and equitable assessment of property
for the purpose of taxation regard.
less of the nature of the property, the
name of the owner or the amount OF
his holdings.
The immediate cause of the organ
ization was letter from T. D. Rock
we'll, of the State Tar Commission,
which showed that valuation of Che
halls county for 1911 was but 2617
per cent of the actual value, and the
levy for state purposes was 1888 mills,
while twenty counties received a
levy of 2.11 mills, because they were
assessed at full actual value.
1t was clear that the average prop.
erty holder was not being assessed
at such low valuation at 26.17 per
cent. but that he was paying on a
valuation of from 40 to IS per cent,
while large holders were escaping
with valuation of from to 10 ner
cent or even less, thus making the ex-
tremely low average. 1t was a mat.
ter of common knowledge that hold.
ers of large tracts of timber lands
were the chief offenders against civic
honesty; the timber had been order
ed cruised, and one Of the leading
aims of the League was to secure
en- equitable valuation of that class
of property, the value of which had
heretofore been a mystery.
Some Of the Results
The wisdom of that cruise and the
activity of the League in securing
the election of taxing officials VIII
were pledged to square deal, and
known to be men who would hold
that pledge sacred, is now apparent.
Assessor Wiley, refusing to be guided
by the state tax commission, proved
in court that it was his duty to place
ALL property in the county on the
rolls, and by that decision added ST.
100000 to the rolls.
pnrnnnn1
ly of logs, loggers equipment, mer-
chandise stocks and steamboats, were
found totaling $2,OOO.OOO above tba:
Of the previous year, and the asses
sor announces that he will place all
timber lands on the same basis as
other property this year, that Is they
will 60 on the rolls at valuation OF
10 per cent of the actual valIe.
that will add $7,000,00O
more to the rolls, making total in.
crease of $1O,SO0,OOO as the result of
a fearless, honest and capable as
SCISSOR doing his duty and fulfilling
his ante-election promises.
A Concrete Example
How this plan of assessing timber
as the law directs is shown in one
1866, owned by the Weyer-
hauser Timber Co. The cruise shows
this township to contain 1,3O0,OOO,OOO
feet of timber, which, at the valua-
tion of 80 cents per M fixed by the
last equalization board, is assessed
at 100000. This value would be
at least doubled under the new valu-
alton.
Benefits to Accrue
Among the benefits to follow from
the equal distribution of the neces-
sary taxes, not least will be much
lower levy. The absurdly low valu-
atoms in the past have caused very
high rate of levy, a fact that deferred
Industrial concerns from locating in
the county. 1t was almost useless
10 tell the prospective locator that
the valuations were low. When he
was informed that the tax rate was
from 4 to 6 per cent, he Immediately
thought of somewhere else to invest
his capital.
Another immediate benefit will be
found in the closer scrutiny all prop
erty owners will give proposed ex-
both city and county.
These results following, it will bel
possible to make the levy for state,
county and city as low as 80 mills on
the dollar, a figure that will attract
the capital necessary to develop this