The Oroville weekly gazette. [volume] (Oroville, Wash.) 1905-19??, 1916-07-21
COMMUNICATED.

so,d assessor | learned the inter
:. ,hare ia in the subject of taxation
~Iare is but one point on which all
.,ree--that taxes are too high. In
~ of the interest shown, ! was i'm
..aseed with the general ignorance Oh
,ha subject, and this is surprising when
one considers that taxes affect every
~., woman and child in the country
rha high taxes are attributed to al
most every conceivable source from
ss,aft" nm. II is good deal easier to
vail graft than it is to study and
s,a the reason and intelligently meet
It
Many people have their minds on the
svoenditures of the county officers,
Who in fact spend very small part of
rho taxes (several of the county Off
sss are nearly self supporting by the
fees collected) and pay very little at
,sntion TO the subject of school boards,
Vim have the expenditure of the lar
cost item of public funds. Take school
district No. II for instance, in which
,hs town OF OrOville is located. 1t Is
not generally known. but it Is true.
that over 4S per cent of all taxes paid
outside Of the incorporation goes to
The support of our educational system,
heal and state. There is sacredness
surrounding our public schools that
makes the payment of its taxes a COM
uaratiyely easy duty, but we should not
overlook the expenses of the school
boards In considering taxes.
One-fourth of our taxes goes to the
building and maintenance of roads and
bridges. This is big item and should
receive the carful consideration of all
taxpayers.
Aside from the school and road ex-
psnditures, the expenses of running
The state and county government are
comparatively small, amounting to
about one-fifth of the total tax.
Following is table showing how
u 1915 taxes were applied:
achool (local and state) 4S.54 per cent.
1ead and bridges ......24.76 per cent.
0eneral expenses Estate and
county ............. .22.5S per cent.
REDEMPTION ............ 4.12 per cent.
Total. ..... 10000 per cent.
r0r the last month | have been in
the office of the county assessor and
have acquainted myself somewhat with
the work Of the county officials, and l
am convinced that it would be hard to
get a better more efficient or harder
working lot than are present incum-
bants.
Then the question, "Why the high
nxes?" This is a pertinent question.
However, some facts should be born
10 mind to properly grasp the situation.
Laying aside the subject of taxes for
school purposes, which is the largest
Item, being largely local question and
which can be settled only by the voters
and directors of the local school dis
trcts, let us look at the county expen-
ditures. We have the largest county in
the state comprising over four million
acres. 1t is one of the toughest, most
sparcely settled and least developed.
10 fact, out of the four million acres
only three per cent are assessed as
improved lands, or less than five and
one-half townships. That very small
area also implies a correspondingly
small amount of taxable personal prop
ery In addition to the three per cent
OF improved lands there are only nine
per cent more of privately owned lands
VI which one per cent is timber land.
Ihls means that only one-eighth of this
county Is subject to taxation. The other
SeVen-eighths is lying waste in timber
reserves, Indian reservations, Indian
allotments, and waste lands. This vast
d'e territory requires general county
supervision, and the. construction and
maintenance of roads over rough areas
and IN many cases, the maintaining of
'cnools IN very sparcely settled dis
'rlcts Is 1t any wonder that taxes ac-
'uinulate on those who do the paying?
II is healthy sign to see the tax
payers beginning to inform themselves
ana 70 form into road and tax organi-
aatlons. Some efficient workable plan
" s''ii needed to economically con-
oruce and maintain our public road
'ystem, which apparently is where the
greatest waste has occurred.
All agree that every effort should be
alade to reduce the present rate of
,aaatoh This county needs new cap
'a' anu new blood to develop our enor-
"'ous resources, but we are offering
anything but encouragement by our
high taxes.