Durango semi-weekly herald., 1901-08-26
THE INCREASED
ASSESSMENT OF PROPERTY

The changes made by the state
board OF assessors in the valuation OF
railroad and other corporate property
nnder the revenue act passed last
spring increase the assessment of all
such property from tJf,ooo,vOV to In
the ncigbborboOd OF fi2o,0o0.oVo
The aggregate OF the valuations o!
general property by the different coun'
ty assesnofs amounts To $3.50. 0O.0O0,
which is and advance from $i70.00o.-
900. The total valuation of general
and corporate property is about $500,
600 900.
Although the increase In the value
of corporate property Is great II prob
ably II not M dispfoportionate TO tbs
market value ms the change in respect
TO general property The valuation
OF s33 900. 900 for railroads was pro
portionateiy much lower than the val
upilon OF $40. 100000 for general prop.
erty The increase Of the later. 10
$3.50. 900, 900 Is. therefore. less called
for than the advance In the railroad
assessment
Upon appeal to the state bonrd OF
equalization and other bodies author
lied TO review assessments of prop
erty. these valuations may be changed.
The railroads have the right TO appeal
10 the state board of equalization. and
they may secure some reductions u
they adopt that course. II la proDaD.
ie also that the instnnoes ~ d"pllca-
tion viii be fonnd OF sufficient ire-
qucncy TO cut the total valuation down
somewhat. But IN any cyert ,he ag-
grcgaio viii not bo far from 500 ooD
900
The state constitution as II was orig
'nnlly adopted provided that WHOM the
geinnaou of ,aW BILE property IN th'
tate amounted To- $500. .O00. .OOJ the ra'c
e iaEation for ate purposes should
not exceed two MILLS on each dollar Of
valuation. But the legislature OF
1891 submitted an amendment to that
section which, having been adopted
by The people. removed this provision
and permitted the rate for state pur
poses tu be -four mills, however great
the valuation OF tnxnble property
might be. This change In the consti'
tuition having been made. the revenue
FOR state purpobcs will be two and
pne.half what Ii has heretofore been
unless the four mill rate IS yoluntar
liy reduced.
Adhering TO valuation OF flve mil.
lion dollars ana tax rate OF four mills
on each dollar the state would receive
80 large revenue there would be n
scramble To get possession of IT,
Every institution that would Ike to
have more money whether II needs II,
or not-w.d have bills introduced ap
propriating vast amounts for its bene.
ilt There VIII he riot OF cxpendit
nrrs, for which the people VIII get
eorrespundingly little benefit;
There will lie brought ont the fact
that u is easier for legislators and
other officials To increase the bur
aops OF taxation upon tho backs Of
property owners than to practice the
economy necessary Ia order To i've
within the states income. There
has been no need OF the cxtrnvagaut
increase In taxation involved In the
1hnnges of the revenue law aud the
Increased valuations of property The
state expenses could have been kept
within the revenue II proper economy
hid been exercised. ana the managers
Of the Institutions had been made TO
appreciate that Colorado is neither nB
ud nor as wealthy as New York
But economy IL n dlgagrceuble and
lifilculi thing In practice, and the fns.
ionle,s were Ia no mood 10 resort 10
H. Let them remain In power with
The state treasury running over with
money wrunE from the people aud the
public viii witness mn illustration of
riotous ohtraNagnncc the equal OF
which has never yet hoon seen in Col
nrado. Denver Republican.