The state herald., 1901-01-11

increased revenue If these estimates
| are to be respected.
"This condition is the result Of So
called revenue system under Whlcn tne
bulk of taxable personal property es-
capes assessment, with consequent
increased burden upon owners
of real estate The needs OF
our state institutions have there
fore for years been disregarded.
| have heretofore adverted to the fact
| that assessed valuations decreased
from S23G, ,440.4S in 1892 to $1S1 ,OOO,OOO
| In 1898, and that the downward move
ment began with the act of 1871, re-
moving the limit on the taxing power
of counties, thereby enabling them to
! realize all needed revenue regardless or
| the valuations. On the other hand the
| constitutional restriction upon the tax
| ing power of the state, makes Its reve-
nue. largely depend upon the general
valuation. This anomalous condition
places the commonwealth at the mercy
of the tax dodger and the assessor, un-
der whose combined action 1t is starv-
ing in the midst of plenty, while the
| burdens of the honest taxpayer are un-
| justly increased.
at has long been customary for
county assessing authorities to justi-
| fy their low valuations by the assertion
| of similar misconduct of the state
board of equalization and to promise
reform whenever that tribunal made Il
record for good behavior. Recrimina-
! tons even when true cannot justly
wrong doing. When unfounded they
! should never occur. Property coming
under the jurisdiction of the state
board has, city realty excepted, during
the last two years been assessed rela-
| lively higher than property in general
and far beyond that of large corpora
| tions over which ii has no control.
| ~ know Of no better method of dem
onstrating this fact than by contrast
| ing the assessed valuation and annual
1 tax payment of a local railway compa-
| ny with those of one of our largest In
| dustr,p corporations. The Colorado X
Southern railway is capitalized at S4S,-
100000. earned for the fiscal year end
| ing June. 1900, gross, Si,23i, II2. net,
| 81, ,lOI .S9l .2S; was assessed by the state
board and paid local and state taxes,
| S1T3,2iO7l. The Colorado Fuel and
Iron Company is capitalized at 3d.
| 100000. earned for year ending June
30. 1900, gross, SlO,3jO,029 net, 81,
| 55i, ,5S6.2I was assessed locally and
! paid in local and state taxes, Sai,S12.54.
| am not and never was the champion
| of railway or other corporate interests.
| Justice nevertheless requires me to say
Of those coming within the domain of
/ the state board, that only In one in
| stance was any item OF taxable prop
erty excluded from the returns; that
| all their reports We're verified by the
| official representative of the state. In
| 1899 they offered 10 submit TO a state
| tax Of six mills upon the dollar. that
its treasury might be rcplenlshed, pro
| vided other taxpayers would do like
| wise. | at once submitted this gener-
ous proposition 10 the local boards
throughout the state. but the silence
| with which II was everywhere re
| cclvcd was universal and still remains
unbroken. Its acceptance would have
Increased the public Income for the
| past two years by twenty-five per
cent. and satisfied nearly all the ap-
| preparations of the third class
| "Ihe permanent tax lcvics FOR vari.
Gus state institutions supplemented by
other fractional inyasions Of the 4 mill
limit have progressively diminished
the proportion thereof for the purposes
| OF general revenue until but little
more than a third Of II remains The
rcsiduum consequent upon the neces.
| sity Of providing sinking fund for the
capitol building bonds was smaller In
1SH3-len than ever before. aud viii
be snHllrr still for the ensuing Two
years. Two and one-hnlf mills were
available IN 1899, li,li niles In 1900
| The sinking fund was SsDOaD for
1899. ani SG0,OOO Tor 1850 One
hundred end twenty thousand dol.
lars Is required for each NJ the ycnr,
Of the p'B'llng fiscal period. aud taxa.
\ ton for general revenue must conse.
/ quently ~ limited 10 H. mills I'inn
n valuation Of SN0OYnOOD this rnto
would r1,-luee Sl.5DlUp which sun.
plcmcnird by the returns Of the gtnie
and Insurance departments would IA,
ample ~. the public requirements
Upon n valuation " SaiO.OolO 600 tbs
nudltor's estimate. the return Is wo.
fully insufficient.
III By constitutional amendment tho
i-mlll limit could he summarilv nbrn.
gated mud the right of taxation inns
unrestricted could be- so applIed a. :,
bring immediate relief, should hest.
tate TO recommend II. The ImnosliIop
OF this check upon the power io tax
was both wise and premedltatnd m,
power Ia tax Involves the bower Ia IA.
stroy. T. needs for III proper nnJ
normal exercise every restraint ib.t
experience has shown 10 bc snlulnry.
| The evil n not that the state can
tax too little, hut that lhr counties can
tax too much. nnd the remedy lies In
placing boundary 10 the latter A.
Wen ns 90 the former. This can A,
done by statute eau not too strony.
advocate the enactment OF n Alnt.
n'e placing n maximum limit m,op
county lcrlcs, so adjusted as 10 comi.i
fnlr assessments.
The state board should also hr M.
dowed with authority 10 eounlizn A.
u bonrd OF assessment It's fun.ti,n.
nave been nc,lvc; ns board of eaufl.
lShuoh u hnS always been moriitnn1
rs us name Implies, II was Intended
10 adjust and rpunllse assessment,
among the several counties of ,hs
state by decreasing nnd iprr,,sln.
specific valuations, that unIf,rr,i,,
might be secured nnd unius, buri.n,
avoided, II has NJ Intervals nftc,nnt
ch 10 accomplish this commrndnbio ni,
lcct bnt without succrss. Tor tbe sn.
pfcmc Court hns whenever rnii.L ,,,,,
deprived It's notion " Nh force by d.
nllhs hH authority, Shnfn of M mn.
'hoflty tile board II hplplnsa ns
tribunal NJ equalization. nnd Tho pt,.,
| RlhflnE Violations ~ uulforntiiy ,a,,.,