The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1888-02-26
FAIR CASH VALUATION.

We submit that the system of levying
taxes in this Territory is iDjuring our
reputation abroad and is not doing us
any good at home. The assessed valu-
alton of property in Utah is about
$37 ,000,0 900. Before a Congressional
committee the other day, orr assess
ment roll was held IN and Haunted as
evidence that the Territory was poor IN
property and non-progressive. 1t was
charged that white Utah had been
settled forty years. aud was
more populous than any other
Territory save Dakota, the as
SCISSORS returns showed that the
people were poor. Other Territories
with half the people and not half the
development, showed III re property
than this one. OF course it was a mean
charge to make. 1t was mean advan-
tage TO take. Utah is really rich
r cher, in fact. than any other Territory
except Dakota But orr tax roll does not
show it. For smoe reason which / a
never appeared, the assessors have ever
p rsisted in assessing property at a
fraction o.. its value. Last year,
during the sittings of the boards
OF equalization for this city and
Salt Lake County, it was developed
that the effort was to assess on a basis
of sixty per cent. of the cash valuation
but as matter OF fact, the assessment
was only on about forty per cent. OF the
alton is even lower, in some places
amounting to not more than ten per
cent of the actual worth of the prop
erty in the market. We were never
able to understand why this rnle should
have been established or followed. but
can readily see why it should be aban-
doned. The gentleman who took ad
. vantage in Congress OF our low assess
meot to charge poverty. furnishes one
good reason who the system should be
changed for one more in keeping with
the truth, and in our professions
We are all the time presenting the best
| of reasons for getting the rolls some
4 where in harmony with the facts. At
the present lime we are petitioning
; Congress to admit the Territory to thG
Union as State. and as an argument
5 going 10 show financial ability to pay
the expenses of State government, we
> represent hat Utah possesses property
worth $3.50 900 600. The statement is
: absolutely correct, and yet the tax roll
Il shows the value of property to be $37,
II 100000. The Chamber of Commerce
sends out the truthful assertion tina
Il Utah is rich to the extent OF $3.50, 600 ,OGt
worth of property, and the assessor
. backcap it with q sworn statement tina
the Territory has taxable propert,
worth $37,O00,0J0. There shou d b.
reconciliation between these two sets
of figures, and the reconciliation shout,
be brought about by increasing Ih,
:. official va'u alton to the truth. Let u
stop this thing of posing before tn
!. world as poverty-strlcken commu
nifty, worth only one-fifth the sum tina
=, our property would fetch in the mar
ket. There need be no more none
~ taken from the people for tax,s. Simpl
reduce the tax rate and enhsno
the assessed valuation. The man VIII
=. pays $50 year taxes. would rather a
10 it on IS 600 worth of property than O
~ $1,000. The law says that propert
- shall be assessed at its fair cash valua
, ton, and not at GO per cent. or 30 pc
II cent. of the value Let the assessor
- follow the law and not practice a fictio
!, which Injuries the Territory at HON
and abroad.
CoALTER 81 SNELGRovE, the Salt LAX
B. ysueio dealers Knaha piaDoc