Deseret evening news. [volume] (Great Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1867-1920, 1893-08-21
The Board Of Equalization Says No
10 The Taxpayers Prayer
ASKING 90 PER CENT REDUCTION.
Judge Blair Is Vehement Opponent,
and States His Reasons Therefor
-"Wurrant Hawking"

per cent in the city ana county taxes.
Nc. Murphy pointed out that the
rover TO raise or lower the entire
assessed value Of any county Is
undoubtedly exclusive. IL Is roposed
solely IN the territorial board. II Is the
g1siueas oil theterrlt0Tial board to equal.
iko ~ between the coupliee, and u nll
propefty iu une county h undervalutd
or oveIyalucd 60 raise W lower tho
whole Assessment ~ ~ 10 make II CON
turm to ths standard prevailing in the
territory NJ large. To lower the whole
county tax IN not county equalization;
D.. he territorial equalization, The
county board has no power 10 IOJS
L,youd the limits OF tie county;
B., be- confined % the county roll before
I.. For the county board to raise the
Wholo valuation u not 10 oquaiizc at
.pu;lt IL therefore beyond ills powCfa as
ua toard Of EQUALIZATION" The CUu-
-pluunces VI a1uming that both bodies
% fyr aucn plwers, continued tie
county attorney, l. absurd. IL they
lave concurrent lowers and ehOuli
tuurain opposite Views az 10 the
,.uuty valuation, one claiming that IL
tr4uld be raised aud the other that 20
H.ruid be lowered, II would simply To-.
rutin a race between the two bodies,
Zach striving 10 make It, Ordor fret, ~
Boz 10 Gust the other VI jurisdiction.
Aud 10 assume that tue county board
may act nfst, subject 10 Confirmation
ur revi.iou by thv territorial board, L.,
uf.t % assume thHt thu latter viii
trsirct its public dutltr, not ncling
when II should uCt, ani, second, 10
road into the STATUTES provisions which
Tho legislature has not aten III u
iuseft. II, therefore, any fciici
can be- gwen, It mu6t be given
ui tho Territorial bOari OF
,uuaizllion, aud the petitioners should
no recommended 10 request hearing
u.iorc that body. 1 can conceive Of
I1 0tuer method by watch the pay.
muut Of amy proportion Of the taxes
can NO legally excused. You have no
POWER u remit a legally determined
taz except IA ease OF Indulgence.
Attorneys Waite ana WhitiemorU, Ia
behalf OF the petitioners for the Ieiuc.
tiuu, IN order 10 meet the objection
raised 20 the petition, iilrd a windy
formal complaint, after which
Judge Blair said, In substance.
wlgh 10 say that the board appreciates
10 the fullest extent the financial con.
uiliou u the people u this Cou ~ aLd
Tive erigenCy OF thB hour. Nothing
would give ~ greater pleasure, II We
can legally DO 30, than TO grant this
request, bat IL 10 a matter Of TOO great
Importance 10 be decided without due
confederation. The position taken by
COUNSEL Tor tho petitioners ~ novel anu
plausible n not seductive. We have
decided to conslJcr Il Tor time, and
viii render our decision on Monday Al
O'Clock.
The board then adjourned.
IIE ANSWER IL $50"
When the board met this afternoon
splcctmgu hamburger moved that the
ltnyer oil the pttitityiOrs he granted.
Judge Blair said that before the vote
wa tnkyn he desired 10 give n few
Itgs.aa Tor the action which he himBBli
lfOl ustd To take Oh this question. His
iunur proceeded TO state these az some
Er 9Th. Tho petitioners asked the
l9atI 10 feuuco the valuation
uI their real estate In the city
20 Ter cent, tDeir contention,
ag hu understood, being that such
property hal isilou In value 20 per
cent more than that outside the ely.
AZ TO the legal aspect u the case, even
u they, M a board u equalization, hgd
tho power 10 grant the payer Of the
petitior-W he very much doubt
e!-therr were other considerations
before that body. But assuming that
they had abundant authority under
the law 10 make this rs per cont Ieduc'
ton, the question tuen came with
strong force: would 1t be wise Ut
uHpeuient 10 exercise i2 The
members OF the present county
court had entered into no now
tchsmes or costly Improvements since
taking office, but had observed the
most rigid economy In all their tran
factions. Tue only large project In
hand WIS the joint city anu county
building, undertaken, however, uciJtu
the present board came into existence;
ami 20 leave that az 1t now stood for u
year OF two would be aim NJ criminal.
Hut after every dollar OF taxes
which they would receive this
iull had been paid out this county
would be found $4,000 or Sl70, 900 ia
%. Do year hence. Further, II tuey
wsuccd the taxes in the city one.iourIh
..g, they would adl One.i0urth to H.,
U.lu the result that their warrants
v.uil be hawhed about tue streets at
40 GENTS ON the dollar. The city'-
t.rU,Ouer mt present was dry, like
tH't OF Inc county, aud the iofmeT was
ruIus scrip 10 pay liz debts. but Tue
Nly LJu hOpus which thu county hau
l.,i TIC city had bonds which it
ruull sull, it, treasury would thereby b.
yupotcJ, and II would DO able TO
tasty uu the works which u had lnuu.
tliy undertaken. But suppose the
t.rrs OF this city were reduced 70 per
cent, "would you bo able TO sell thOnt
iwngt9' In urging that Whatever
lub!ic WORK that was necessary should
lr found Tor resident working men
Judge Blair added; Unless you du,yu
pace a wolf IN the door OF every
|sp.riur man in this city who has a
iHuly; guu humanity viii require
40 ,nis city look after The starving
'Hurn anu children during TINS
u,yr," Again the judge expressed
lf crave dOuht7, even n this beard
ai tNo umpiest power under the law,
ta lD the prudence ur wisdom
~ 2rantiug the putiiionuts' prayer
bui thus concluded; ! WOulu
la,lpr Dear "iho lbs we have
'aAu .ly TO others we know not OFF,
-tltctman CGhoon--I move that the
Uuuan be denied.
Councilman HeiHs seconded.
e.lyg.man Morris remarked that the
Itollu who Presented this petition
w'ie The heaviest tax payers IN
10, city and It came with rad grace
i'w them to dscry the value Of their