THE MORNING ASTORIAN, ASTORIA, OREGON,
FRIDAY, APRIL It, 1908.
IMA
L
TAXATION
Prtsent System of Assessing Prop
erty Detrimental.
YALDATIONJUNDERESTIMATED
Property Unequally Assssstd That
Should Bear Mor, of th Burden,
While the Homes of Poor Should Not
Bear Unnecessary Burdens.
There Is a matter of considerable
Importance to the city of Astoria anil
Clatsop county that should require the
attention of the county court, and that
is the system of assessing property
in the city and county. An effort I
made, so it Is claimed, to assess all
property, both real and personal ,at
bout one-third of its actual cash
TIue. The assessor has to rely upon
the statements furnished him by the
people, especially in the value of a
stock of goods. In the assessment of
real property the judgment of the as
sessor is the criterion for establish
ing values. ,The present system Is.
"entirely wrong and injurious to the
elty and county.
In Josephine county the county court
has Instructed the assessor to assess
all property at its actual cash value.
The advantage of this will be a de
crease In the annual tax levy. In
stead of levying 50 mills upon a one
third assessment basis, it will only re
tcaln about 20 mills opon an actual
cash basis. People coming to a com
munity to locate or invest invariably
Inquire what is the tax levy. When
tbey are informed that it is 5 per cent
they are scared out It makes no dlf
ferenec if it is explained that property '
is only assessed at one-third of its
actual cash value, it is the amount of
the levy that influences them. If the
property of Astoria were assessed at
its actual cash value, instead of th
assessment roll, aggregating about
J4.000.000, I would amount to S20
W0.000 and a levy of 10 mills would
produce as much revenue as a 53 mill
levy and the county does not have to
pay any greater amount to the state.
, There Is a large amount of real
property In Astoria that is not assessed
at one-tenth of its actual cash value,
nor for the prices at which some of
It has been sold. In Multnomah coun
fy the assessor will, according to tjie
Oregonlan raise the assessed value of
property 11,000,000,000 in order to re
dace the tax levy, realizing that a low
assessment and a high levy is a det
rtment to the city and an obstacle in
the way of Investment by outside capi
taL An erronlous impression prevails
among some that an Increased assess'
ment means that the county will have
Baore to pay to the state. This used
to be the law, but it has been changed
and the state tax levy is now based
upon the percapita and not upon the
assessed valuation of property. It will
make no difference in Portland if the
assessments are tribbled, it will not
be reauired to pay any more taxes
The same is true of Clatsop county.
IT the valuation of the property is In-
creased Ave fold, which it ought to be,
the amount paid to the state will be
no larger than at present.
xThus It will be seen that In many
Instances property is not assessed at
18 per cent of its actual cash value,
and this is the reason why the tax
levy in Clatsop county Is so high. It
. the assessment was Based upon the
actual cash value, the tax levy would
not exceed 10 to 15 mills. This would
irfve Clitson county a hUr flnnnrial
Wanting; would be an inducf-ment for
capitalists to come hre nnj invest. No
one would be compelled to pay any
more taxes than they now pay, and if
the business property were assessed at
its true cash value instead of 10 per
eent it would relieve some of the mer
chants farmers and owners of small
tomes of unnecessary and burdensome
taxation end put It where it Justly
belongs, on the property that is bring
ing in a good income, but which does
not pay its just proportion of taxes on
account of the unequal assessments.
If property were assessed its actual
ash value a levy of 1 mill for five
years would furnish sufficient money
to complete the new court house. TJn
Jer the present assessment it will re
quire a 2 mill levy for 12 years. During
all of this time, the county Is paying
interest on the court house warrants,
If the court houes is completed at a
cost of 1125,000, and warrants Issued
for the payment as contemplated, the
last warrants will run for more than
12 years, and during that time the
county will have paid out over $60,
800 In Interest, or half of the original
tout of building, the" court house. The
figures herein stated ere not absolute
ly correct, simply -approximated,- but
are below rather than above. It is a
matter that is worthy of consideration,
and is a matter that the tax payers of
Clatsop county are or should be inter
ested in.
Her.
ur
their homes, especially the front yards
One Important feature is the discard
lug of fences and the building of low
stone fence, and in some lustano
the Inolosures ore removed altoKoth
Robert Corruthers and L. Klrchoff
building a stone feno in front of the
property on Exchange street, which
a decided Improvement Many of the
fences of Astoria are more on
tumble-down order, and no matter
how clean the yard may be or how
beautiful the lawn, the effect is de
stroyed by unsightly fences. Another
thliur. the hoodlum klda of Astoria
cannot keep their hands off fences
shrubbery In the yards. Tbey pull the
pickets off and destroy creeping vine.
If the common council would pass n
ordinance making It a misdemeanor
for any boy to destroy the property
others it might go a long way in rem
edying the evil. If a boy Is remon
strated with, he becomes insolent and
Impudent and no one has a right
thrash the hoolums, as it will result
in a row with their paternal ancestors.
It is very evident that some parents
have no control over tneir offspring,
and no time to teach them a love for
the beautiful. As long aa a kid can
smoke a cigarette and swear, he Ira
agines that he is a man, but If he on
knew how disgusting he was In the
eyes of respectable people, he might
be Induced to discard these noo.uum
characteristics.
iy
Doing 8utiness.
The City Lumber & Bos Company,
Astoria, has been awarded the contract
for furnishing S0O.00O feet of lumbc
for the Columbia river Jetty. The spe
cificatlons call for a -large quantity of
timbers lis 16 and 12x14. 35 feet long,
and a quantity of shorter lengths, and
also 32.500 railroad ties. This la to be
Imade in three deliveries. April 23, May
15 and June 15. A portion af the first
delivery has already been made. Man
ager John Nordstrom states that al
though the new company has only been
In existence three months it has ac
compllshed even more than was ex
pected, and he feels very hopeful of Its
practical usefulness for the future.
Civie Improvement.
There fs a tendency among the prop'
rty owners of Astoria to beautify
Alon the Water Front.
The steamer North Star, which will
be used as a cannery tender for the
Alaska Fshermen's Packing Company,
siilled for Bristol Ray yesterday.
The German ship Aragoni left out
yesterday for the orient with a genern
cargo, most of which was Hour con
signed to Japan. .
The steamer Cascade Is due to ar
rive from 'San Francisco this morn
ing.
The steamer F. II. Leggett is due
from San Francisco today.
The steamer Redondo Is due from
San Francisco Sunday.
Baseball Scores.
Tacoma Seattle 0, Tacoma S.
Portland Los Angeles 1, Portland
San Francisco Oakland 3, San
Francisco 1.
Frightful Suffering Relieved.
Suffering frightfully from the vlru
lent poisons of undigested food, C.
Grayson, of Lula, Miss., took Dr. King's
New Life Pills, "with the result,- he
writes, "that I was cured." All stomach
and bowel disorders give way to their
tonic- laxative properties. 25c at Chas.
Rogers' drug store, guaranteed.
Holllster's Rocky Mountain Tea I
peftive, iever nauseates or upsets
the stomach. Cleanses and purities th
entire system. A great blessing
suffering humanity. 35 cents, Tea or
Tablets. Dr. C. E. Linton's drug store,
W. J. Hess has opened the cleanest
and best appointed restaurant In As
torla at 120 Eleventh street. The best
the market, rj the promptest serv
Ice. tf
HATS
Trimmed Free
MRS. R. INGLETON,
656 Commercial St.
Welch Block, Astoria.
!.; I V. fca n display
FOR EASTER
an elegant line of Ladles' and Chil
dren's Trimmed Hats In all the latest
styles and shades. '
My millinery business has grown to
such proportions that I am compelled
to make room for this department by
disposing of my entire stock of Under
wear and Notions. The
Closing Out Sale
now on, Is a biy money saving oppor
tunity.
A nice line of hair switches and pom
padours carried in stock.
FROM CHILDHOOD
To old age It is necessary to sustain
the boly for the mental strain. Phy
sicians everywhere say that fresh
cow's milk Is the only safe substitute
for mother's milk. We don't keep half
the milk 24 hours. We deliver each
milking as soon as It arrives, yet we
charge no more. Choose either morn
ing or night delivery and get Fresh
MjJk of The SLOOP- JEFFERS CO.,
10th and Duane Sts.
ORDER
ISSUED
Shipment of Goods to Mexico and
Centra! Americn.
BENEFIT OF THE INSURGENTS
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B T77 A . i Mil
Guatemalan Government Asserts That
Arms and Ammunition Ars Being
Shipped to Hostile Countries for the
Btntfit of th Insurgents.
San Francisco, April 20. An Im
portant order has been Issued by Col
lector of the Port Stratton. which may
for some time Interfere in the ship
ment of goods to Mexlca and Central
America, and in some cases may J-
lay the sailing of the steamers fot
ports In those countries.
The orders are that hereafter no
clearance shall be granted to a vessel
until the individual consigners' mani
fests are on file In the custom house.
This order is the result of protests
filed In the state and treasury depart
ments by the Guatemalan consul at
this port, who asserts that arms and
ammunition are being constantly ship-
peJ on steamers leaving this port Jor
Central America consigned to and for
the use of the insurgents now fight
ing against his government
Bill Posters' Linaense.
Notwithstanding the council passed
an ordinance Imposing a license on bill
posters, and the fact that there l one
or two in the city trt are engaged In
the business every day and have not
taken out the required license, it Is
probable that some one will be arrest
ed for a violation of the ordinance,
that Is. if the council Intend to en
force the ordinance. None of the eon.
dltions of the ordinance have been
compiled with, which require the re
moval of bill boards from the streets of
the city. If the city la so hard up It
might raise some revenue by enforcing
the ordinances.
Schilling's Best, so far as h
goes, means comfort and ease
and economy.
Money back; at your grocer's.
Clothes rought at
Wise's
Pressed Free of
Charge Whenever
ou Wish,
Nature invests everything in brightest hue. Hill and valley
shed their sombre winter colors and the trees dou their brightest
leaves. Even the very atmosphere changes its cmpness to a mild
and more pleasant surrounding, hence' the birds begin bo sing and
all mankind rejoices. V.
Why . Don't You
join the happy throngs, who, recognizing Wise's Superior Quality
of Clothes, take their pick out of our immense assortment and be
gin to look brigter. better and more dressy. Superb productions
from the master tailor's hands
$15.00 to $30.00
t - f1 '
Astoria's "RELIABLE" Clothier.
to
RUSH
The order for that pair of Oxfords in the
NewShade "CHAMPAGNE"
This color has met with the approval of
ladies who like up-to-date footwear and
will be quite popular this season. We have
ladifg' hit(h shoes in the same shade. They
are sold at popular prices too.
YOU MAY WALK ALL OVER
the city but nowhere will you find a Ix-t.
tor patent leather shoe, lace or button,
than we offer
FOR EASTER
FOIt MKN:-IIiKhnn low shoes, hylo too,
Goodyear welt, military heel, in tun
Same stvio, higher grade leather H
High aod low shoes, noli toe, gnudyi-nr
welt, uiilitury heel, luce, in patent
leather .$,
Heme and other stylos in higher rrmltf
notunt htuthpr tin t .7
"" I-'Oll WOMKN:-Ofonh plain top, button
uarwta . -,. ,,ther nml tun . . :
oo
OO
50
PETERS0MBR0WN aaS ... mr.
Must In M-li't'tert
521 Commercial Street. Wlth tR,e " mr
Art your spirits drooping? I you
feW that tlrsil frrllnirT Dos your ap
prtlt liwd coaxlnf ? Then your blood
Is poor. That la naturs't way of tell
In you that you n4 our
ALTI-TONE
It Is an ldal tonic, bracing. trenth
-stilus; and exhl'.nratlng. It purines ths
blood, toti?s up the system and will
make you fed like yourself again In a
wmk or so.
FRANK HART, Dro&ist.
SOLE AGENT
Corner 14th and Commercial Bta
ANDREW ASP, BLACKSMITH.
Harms installed a Rubber Tiring Machine of th
latest pattern I anprepared to do all kinds of work
la that line at reasonable prices. Telephone 1")1.
CORNER TWELFTH AND DUANE STREET5.
111
m
a
Is Your Bathroom Modem
You cannot have loo many lafeguardi for the health
of family and aclf, especially the growing children.
Bad or antique plumb- j
ing it it djngcroui
health is cond or m
plumbing is beneficial.
The coit of renewing your
bathroom with "fusdard
Ware will in reality be
health itiurame,
W have samples in
... .t , ...
tE-lL i -ii i3 m'w rounl ana win
vy-W-t'Zt gladly quote you prices.
J. A. MONTGOMERY, Astoria, Or.
i
mumitxixxxxxxixixxixtii
Staple and Fancy Groceries
FLOUR, FEED, PROVISIONS, TOBACCO ANDJCIOARS.
Supplies of alt kinds at lowest prloei for Fishermen, Farmers and.Log rers
Branch Uniontown, Phones, 711, - Uniontown,J713
A. V.ALLEN,
Tenth and Commercial Streets. ASTORIA. OREGON.
XIXTIXITXIIIIIIXXXXXXIZXX itillliTT tttt ttt ttt tttt t L
X?
The
Palace
Cafe.
The Best Restaurant,
Regular Meals 25c.
Everything the Market'Affords.
Sunday Dinners a Specialty.
Palace C tering Co.
FISHER BROTHERS C01IPANY
Agents The Linen Thread Co.
SALMON TWINE, COTTON TWINE, ROPE
Fishermen and Cannery Supplies