The labor journal. [volume] (Everett, Wash.) 1909-1976, 1921-07-08
DOING THE JOB
THE WRONG WAY

The city ordinance designed to
cut off city expenditures by lop-
ping off the building inspectors
office will not accomplish the end
claimed by it's advocates. 1t will
not reduce taxes.
The building inspectors office IS
one of the most important in the
city when it comes TO the question
of taxation.
The ordinance, which will be
placed on its passage Tuesday, will
not decrease taxes in an appreciabIe
amount now, but will in future hit
Just tax burden from the should
ers of those who should pay more.
A very good reason for this ar
gument is that the county assessor
makes his valuation from the amount
set down in building permits, rare
ly. if ever, revised upward.
There has not been an increase
in valuation of improved real es-
tate in Everett in eight years, and
the assessor bases his valuation of
the lot or lots improved on the
building permit.
1t therefore seems necessary to
have a competent building inspec-
tor who knows, approximately at
least, what the cost of proposed
building will be. The contractor
or owner cannot place an under
valuation on the building which it
is proposed to construct. The con-
tractor may tell the Inspector that
the cost of a certain building will
be $4,000. If the inspector be
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valuation given is approximately
correct, and if he thinks the valu-
alton is too low he may raise it
to about what he thinks is the
right figure.
Thus tax lodging is prevented.
The inspector may raise the valua-
ton $500 or $1,000 or more and
III. permit is issued accordingly
There will be one hundred resi-
dences erected in this city during
the remainder of this year Should
the increased valuation added by
the inspector on these buildings av-
erage $500 the aggregate would he
$4,000, which would be assessed at
$4,000, bringing in taxes, say
81 $50 on residences alone.
Then add to this the increased
revenue on business houses, add
tions and alterations about $4,000
more and you will readily see that
competent building Inspector can
save the city neat sum in rev.
enue.
The Valuation on new buildings
Governs the assessor the first year
and the values are seldom ever in
ccraSed afterward.
The abolition of the office OF
building Inspector will cost the city
and state from $1,000 to $4,000.
That office, according to the last
monthly report, cost the city less
than $40 and saved the city and
state considerable in revenue.
The journal more than once has
called attention to the fact that the
saving of expenses by cutting wages
and salaries is not the proper way
to attain the object desired The
people of this state have locked the
stable door after the horse was
stolen The only way they can
secure a reduction in taxes at all
appreciable IS to elect a legisla-
ture and a governor who will ad-
minister the business of the state
economically.
Attend to your political duties.
discard that rotten thing called
party patriotism" and stand on
the principal of one for all and
all for one
1t is time to learn that politics
is a business and that you must
ora+ into +bat b1Sioocs 1-o,,,.eolf ~.
get the worst of it.
All the taxpayers leagues this
side of hell can not reduce your
taxes after election.
Whenever anybody talks to you
about party integrity" you may
say to him that no party has such
a thing unless it is closely watched
and forced to do right