The Kennewick courier-reporter. [volume] (Kennewick, Wash.) 1914-1938, 1915-02-11
Bill introduced to Adjust Differ
enceS Between Assessors of
Benton and Yakima
BASE ASSESSMENTS ON
TIME IN THE COUNTY
Committee Nearly Ready to Submit
Water Code Bill for Considera-
ti0n of the Legislature
(By Special Correspondent)

(By Special Correspondent
Olympia, Feb. Representative
John Olson, of Stevens county, has in
troduced House Bill SO in an effort to
adjust the long standing differences
between assessors of various eastern
Washington grazing counties, partic-
ularly striking between Benton and
Yakima counties, in regard to the as
sessment of migratory bands of sheep.
Olson's bill proposes the novel solu-
tion of assessing the sheep in the
county in which the sheep are located
March Of each year, and then having
the county in which they are assessed
reimburse other counties to which the
sheep may be moved, in proportion to
the length of time the sheep are away
from the "home county" With this
end in view the bill provides that an
owner proposing to move his sheep
after March / must give Is days. no
tice to the assessor of the county to-
which they are to be moved, stating
the length of time they are to remain
there, and If they remain longer than
the time specified new notice is to
be made out. It is made the duty Of
the assessor to check carefully the
number Of sheep actually imported
and the length Of time they are grazed
the assessor to report to his board of
county commissioners on December
in regard to all such bands and the
county commissioners then totimake
demand of the county in which the
sheep were assessed for the correct
amount Of taxes. The bill also pro-
vides that in case Of disagreement be-
tween the officials Of the different
c6unties, the state tax commission is
to grant hearing and issue an order
for division of taxes which is to be
final.
MEMBERS of the tax commission
doubt whether the plan proposed
would be workable, on account of the
different rates of levy in the different
counties and also because Of the vary
ing values placed by the assessors up
on the sheep, but eastern Washington
representatives generally, especially
those from Benton, Yakima and Kitti-
tas counties, are studying the question
closely.
Water Code Bill
The water code originally drafted
by the commission appointed by form
er Governor NJ. E. Hay in 1910 has
been introduced by the joint commit
tees on irrigation and arid lands as
Senate Bill $50, but already an inn
tant change has been made in the bill
as introduced and printed, by an al
most complete reWording Of Section 1.
AS introduced the bill gives owners of
riparian rights authority to use and
divert water for irrigation purposes,
superior to that granted riparian own
ers for power and other purposes.
Power companies have protested that
this distinction is an unfair one and
the committees have reached agree
ment that the section is to be re-
worded to place all owners of riparian
rights on the same level.
/. Senator Arthur Mcclure, who led
the fight on the bill at the last session
of the legislature. resulting in its de-
feat, although still opposed to the bill
has stated this session that he will not
contest it actively, as residents of his
own district are divided on the ques-
tion and prospects for the enactment
of the measure are considered bright.
The law, if adopted, would not affect
existing rights but would grant both
irrigation and power companies the
right Of eminent domain to obtain fu-
ture water rights by condemnation,
methods for the determination Of such
rights being set forth in detail and the
Office of state hydralic engineer being
created to have charge Of administra-