Daily capital journal. (Salem, Oregon) 1903-1919, 1916-02-18
FAVOR
COUNTY UNIT FOR
SCHOOL TAX LEvIES
Visiting Assessors Praise En-
teriainment Provided by
Capital City

The county assessors convention ad-
iourned last night after an interesting
and harmonious session which worked
for the general principal of "no more
laws, but make the present ones more
workable" The assessors who are in
reality specialists in adjustment of
realty and personal property values find
it difficult to comply with some of the
present assessment and taxation laws
and propose to work out a code that
makes the law more easily understood
and in a few instances more drastic.
The proposed legislation was left with
a committee consisting of Henry F.
Reed, of MultnOmah county, James II.
Davis, of Wasco county, f. p. Leinen-
weber, of Clatsop county, w. f. Ball,
of Lincoln county, and Ben F. West, of
Marion county
At the election of officers Yesterday
afternoon Henry +. Reed was chosen as
president of the state association for
the coming pear to succeed w. E. Ball,
j. P. Lee, of Klamath county, was elect
ed vice-president, and James H. Davis
was named as secretary-treasurer All
of the visiting assessors expressed
themselves as particularly well pleased
with the entertainment provided for
them by the Salem Commercial club
and others who sought to make them
feel at home while IN this city. The
meeting in general results was also pro.
nounced as one of the most productive
and profitable ever held in the state.
The association adopted a resolution
favoring legislation providing for the
county unit plan for school taxes in.
stead of the school district unit plan
which prevails at present. The con
vention also favored a plan of begin.
ming the making of assessments Jan.
uary l of each year instead of March |
as at present.
Mr.. Ball was the sponsor for the
county unit plan for the assessment of
school taxes and in introducing his
resolution said the present laws in this
respect are "inadequate to meet mod.
ern business methods, the uneconom.
ic, discriminatory and conducive to
inequalities and abuses" The text
of the resolution follows:
Resolved, That it is the sense of
this association that appropriate leg.
islation should be provided whereby
counties and not individual school
districts be constituted units for the
levy and apportionment of school
taxes, and that those counties be
clothed with the necessary facilities
for handling this branch of local gov
ernment. -
The county assessors present were:
W. H. Benton, Benton county; j. Il
Jack, Clackamas county; r. P. Leinen
weber, Clatsop county; G. w. Blakesley
Columbia county; T. j. Thrift, Coo,
county; H. A. Foster, Crook county; W
Tolman, Curry county; F. L. Calllins
Douglas county; Otis Campbell, Gillian
county; J. j. Donegan, Harney county;
Jasper Wickham, Hood River county;
w. 7. Grieve, Jackson county; Eelus
Pollock, Josephine county; ]. p. Lee
klamath county; A. j. Foster, Lake
county; B, F, Keeney, Lane county; w
E. Ball, Lincoln county; +. /. Fisher
Linn county; l.. f. Hill, Malheur coun.
ty; Ben F. West, Marion county; Henry
E, Reed, Multnomah county; F. f. Mey.
er, Polk county; Otto Peetz, Sherman
county; U. G. Couch, Union county;
c. H. Allen, Wallowa county; Jas. A.
Davis, Wasco county; Max CrandalI
Washington county; Peter Hartman
Wheeler county.