Santa Fe daily New Mexican. [volume] (Santa Fe, N.M.) 1885-1897, 1895-01-05

derValueu, or the Individual TAX payers OF
the county fail to give in for assessment
all their taxable property, and the county
commissioners accept from such tax pay
er his assessment as given in, under the
present law there is no authority for the
territory to appeal from such assess
ment.
1t is in the power of the county com
missioners to lower the assessments
upon property throughout the county,
even below the rate fixed by the asses.
sors, and far below Its real value, and the
territory has no power to appeal there
from; at least such is the opinion of some
of the best lawyers in New Mexico; this
defect in the law should be remedied. If
the individual has the right to appeal
from an over-assessment, the territory, in
behalf of the citizens, should have the
right to appeal from an under-assess-
ment, or from a failure to return property
for assessment by the individual.
AS an evidence of the injustice that
may be done under the law as it is now
found. cite you the following instance:
During the last two years, the assessor in
Bernalillo county assessed the owners of
the various land grants throughout the
county, at a rate thought just by him.
The owners returned their assessments of
the property without including the
grants, and the county commissioners
approved the assessment in every in
stance as given in by the tax payers, and
disapproved the action of the assessor,
thus depriving the county and territory
of the taxes that should have been paid
upon several thousand acres of land. An
effort was made to correct this error by
the board of equalization, but upon ex-
animation of the law it was found that it
was powerless to act. Your attention is
called to this measure, that steps may be
taken to remedy the existing evil.
Another defect in this law requiring
your attention, is provision arranging
for the payment of the expenses of this
board. Under the law as 1t now exists,
there is no provision for them to receive
either compensation for their services, or
their actual travelling expenses, while
performing their duties as territorial Of
ticers.
County Finances.
The financial management of the
various counties under the existing law, is
controlled almost exclusively by the
county commissioners. From past ex-
perence, have felt that there should be
sume limit to their management of these
affairs. AS it now exists, they can and
will, give to the sheriffs and collectors OF
the counties, such credit for their collec.
tions as they desire; not only have they
done this, but in some instances, they
have undertaken voluntarily to reliquist
to the sheriffs and collectors, taxes which
they had collected and which were due
not only to the county but to the terri
tory. There is no means of overcoming
any fraudulent contract and arrangement
entered into by the county commls
sioners and the several sheriffs and col
lectors, or any officials. The law SHOULD
be 80 amended as to give the solicitor
general or the territory treasurer thu
right to supervise the actions of thu
commissioners in making such allow
ances and settlements both as to th'
county and territorial matters, author
izing the inspection of the books and &C
counts of the various county officers
with authority for suit to be instituted
for the collection of taxes, either with o.
without tho consent uf the county com
missioners. The rate of taxation is al
ready very high; the burden upon thu
people can only be lessened by the re
duction in the expense of the administra
ton Of the county and territorial affairs
at cry point possible, and by strict en-
forcement of the collection of taxes from
all of our citizens without Partially o
favoritiam to any; holding the severa
collectors strictly accountable for al
money coming into their hands.
In some of the counties the taxes as
sessed are collected closely, not more
than five per cent being returned de
linquent; while in others, from forty tt
sixty per cent are frequently returned a
delinquent, and without the operation ant
assistance of the county officials, there il
no means to enforce the collection o
these delinquent taxes.
The Cattle Sanitary Board.
The territorial sanitary board has don
good work in keeping out of the terri
J tory infectious cattle, and in preventing
the disposal of stolen stock; but in spit
of it's efforts, it seems there are organize
bands of thieves in this territory who ar
tinually, much to the detriment of tn
: stock owners and the good name of tn
territory.
i The power given to this board wit
reference to the examination of hides o
slaughtered cattle and the inspection o
!. cattle shipped from the territory, shoul
. be made sufficiently ample to enabl
them to stop these depredatlons upon th
stock interests. An objection to this lav
is, that it is applicable only to the cattl
+ interests. 1t should be changed so as t.
protect the sheep nld other interests
There are complaints from sheep owner
living near the borders o. the territory
of the bringing from Texas, COLORADO
and Arizona into our territory, larg
herds of sheep belonging to non resi-
dents, grazing them upon our ranges dur
ing good portion of the year, and thel
removing them from the territory so a
y to escape the payment of taxes. The Law
should be amended SO as to stop this, ant
, it should also provide for the inspectio,
!. of the herds of sheep coming into thi
territory, to see there is noscab or othe
disease upon them.
also suggest that the number of mem
bers of this board be increased from
three to five, to be appointed from per
sons representing the cattle, sheep ant
other stock interests equitably, SO tina
each interest may have fair representa-
ton and be fully protected.
Crime.
For several years past there has beer
an unusual amount of crime committed il
the territory. Several persons have beer
assassinated, the capitol of the territor,
, burned, and an effort made to assassin
, ate one or more members of a former
legislature. None of the parties commit
, ting these crimes have been brought tt
justice. Believing that it was to the in
terest of the territory that this era 0
: crime should cease and that vigorou
methods should be pursued to bring tt