La Junta tribune. (La Junta, Bent County, Colo.) 1881-1939, 1898-08-06
LIVE W 70 rxe Law.

This is an enormous drain upon
the county funds but there is no way
to avoid it. The state institution
for the insane is entirely made
auate to meet the demands made
upon il, and every county in the
state is likewise compelled to pro-
vide such accommodations as are
available for its unfortunate insane
The state asylum ought to be
enlarged or new one built, but as
there are no funds available even
for their proper conduct, this is
out OF the question at present. All
OF the state institutions are like
wise suffering for lack OF funds, and
before the end OF the year some OF
them may have to be abandoned.
The prisoners at Canon City would
probably be greatly pleased at such
an innovation, but the state will
have to turn them loose in prefer
ence TO letting them starve.
The fault lies with the states
revenue laws which need a radical
overhauling. The constitution CT
the state forbids a levy OF over four
mills for state purposes, and with
the present assessed valuation the
revenue derived is entirely INSULT
cient TO keep up the state institu-
tions. Consequently some OF them
are in very serious predicament
for lack OF funds and no prospect
OF relief unless the next legisla-
turc takes the matter up.
The cause OF the whole trouble
is in the manner and mode OF as
sessing property. The state law
expressly stipulates that all prop
erty shall be assessed at its full
cash value. The assessors, how
ever, all over the state, are assess
ing property at one half or one
third OF its cash value. and seem
to be vieing with each other in re-
turning the lowest possible proper
ty valuation. They did it last year
and the year before, and the only
reason they can give to Justify their
action is that their fellow assessors
throughout the state are guilty OF
the same practice.
The law seems to cut no fgure
with the assessors in general, pre-
cedent and custum seeming TO be
the governing power OF their of
fetal acts No assessor has vet
been found who is willing to make
a martyr OF himself by discharging
his duties in strict conformity with
the law He would probably be
lynched by an outraged populace
If he did. No individual assessor
can be held accountable for his
official acts, he is forced to do as
the Romans do when in Rome.
Under this system, however,
there is no away to determine the
exact amount OF revenue that will
be raised, and it causes confusion
and inconvenience all over the
state. There is very simple way
out of it, however There would
be no injustice in assessing pro-
perty at its full cash value, pro-
viding ALL the taxpayers in the
state were assessed alike. A cer-
tain amount of revenue has to be
raised to conduct the affairs OF the
state and its various dependencies,
and it would make no difference
whether property was assessed at
at its full cash value, one-third of
its value or one-half of its value,
the result would be the same SO far
as the raising Of revenue is con-
cerned, the only difference being
in the tax rate.
Then there is another feature Of
the present system which works an
injustice upon every county in the
state. Intending investors and
prospective settlers who invests
gate our laws of taxation are mis-
led unless they investigate fully.
If they read the law which says all
property must be assessed at its