El Paso daily herald. (El Paso, Tex.) 1881-1901, 1897-07-27
LOafin' 'ROun'.

LOafin' 'ROun'.
This here's jest the time to be
Loaf whar the wind blows free
Nigh some cool old county ranch
Whar the boys wade in the branch;
Whar you smell the summer rain
AS it sprinkles some old lane:
Whar the bees make houeycOmb
An they call the cattle home,
Talk erbout the dusty town
What's it ell to loafin' roun'?
Weatl er's blazin': so it's best
Jest to slip away an rest
Take day Off in the dells,
Drink T. ON Old-time country wells;
In the coo! grass at your feet
Sli ;e the watermelons sweet:
Gi away from human words
A Jest listen to the birds.
Talk erbout the dusty town
Lies lot happier loafn' 'rOun'.
A reward of $500, 900 has been offered
for the head OF Round About dead or
alive. Some of he moss backs think he
is too advanced refOrmer for this Sec
ton. If the parties who are Offering
the reward will pay him half the sum
be will quit his job and go to Ysleta
and try to reform The people there.
Increased valuations in taxable pro-
perty in an advantage to the county
and benefit to the property owner.
Increased valuations means lower tax
alton and it is the only plan by which
the burdens Of taxation are equal1zed.
Decreased Valuations would increase
taxes and throw the burden of taxation
on the poor man.
The heavy property owners are the
ones that are making the heavy kick
against the increased valuations OF ia X
able property. There was not a poor
man at yesterdays meeting who made
kick. The poor man, even those
with as much as $4,000, renders his
property for near its actual value:
while those who have large blocks of
property, improved and unimprOved,
are the ones who think they are being
imposed upon unless they are allowed
to render their properly al One-quarter
of its actual value. All of :these peo-
pie favor low valuations aud high tax
ton. Why? because they Know that
d man that owns 1900 homestead
will render it at full value, while a
man that has $3.50. 600 worth of proper
ty can render it at $50, O0O and Will only
have to pay taxes on that amount. This
is where the heavy property owners
make the small hOmesteaders pay the
burden of taxation.
There are people in Ell Paso who are
worth more than 500, COO who never
pay their taxes unless sued in the
courts and the county ana city are put
to as much trouble and expense in
taxes tue tax amounts to.
There are other people who own as
much as 100000 worth Of property
who never pay taxes at all, unless they
sell a piece of properly az a high figure
and are required to pay the taxes to
give good deed. These same people
are the ones who are always consulted
on every new move that would be to the
interest or advancement OF the city.
They have succeeded in retarding Ell
PasO'S growth in may ways. Unless
they can get '-finger In the pie" they
are opposed to Improvements and ad-
They are barnacles on
the face of creation AID if they should
decide to leave the town the city could
give them grand blowout and
weeks jubilee could bo held after their
departure.
The twenty-five per cent reduction
IN valuations does not affect any pro-
perty except real estate. Tue vaIua-
tiOns in personal property rem ain the
same as when rendered 10 the asses
sor. There is no doubt but that a
great deal OF personal property was
rendered far below Its actual value,
but this is hard point for the COM
mlssloners to get at.
Last evening the commissioners
court decided to make "a twenty-five
per ceat reduction on increased valua-
tiOns. This cut over their former
still leaves the city's pro-
perty at an enhanced valuation, and
W nile it cuts Off one million dollars in
still leaves the county with
4 respec bic saOwlng in values. Inc
lickers think they have won their
point aud expect JDat by next year
hey VIII get the valuations back TO
he same Old moss back figures they
nave been running at for the last ten
years. 1t is wonderful how tenacious
| heavy property owner holds to tax
lble figures that were adopted when
I'll Paso was a growing village, but how
much higher he hOlus his property for
ale when he finds that age and i'm
I . L IL