The Courier. (Genoa, Nev.) 1899-1904, 1901-03-22
THE WEEKLY COURIER.
Carson Letter,


be worse than the poor law 1t super
sedes. It's ostcnsible, object is to. pro-
vide for uniform. rate of taxation OF
certain property throughout the State,
taking in view the situation of such
property, For this purpose, the sew
eral County Assessors shall meet at the
State Capital once year, and arrange
such uniform rate, and the Act pro-
vides a penalty if they fail to assess
such property according to the rate
fixed upon. The Governor shall act as
Chairman of their meetings. but shall
have no vote. Provision is made to
carry out the bill. Remedies at law
are left unimpaired. AN power is
taken away from tina County Commits
sioners, sitting as Board of Equaliza-
ton or otherwise, over the property
assessed by the Assessors under their
Board agreements
The real object. of the bill is, to raise
liberalization on sheep and cattle,
principally. With raise on the valu-
alton of sheep. and cattle and other
personal property that such Board
can agree upon, corresponding de-
crease in the rate of taxation will
naturally follow. The valuation on
the Central Pacific Railroad will not
be changed, and the effect of reducing
the rate will have the result of, -reduc-
ing the amount paid by the big cor
poration. Business men and house
holders pay by. far out of proportion to
al others. Most offhe il6uselroldersi
pay on the full valuation of their prop
erty in the market, and many pay on
a. valuation far exceeding what they
offer their homes for sale: Sheep and
cattle men pay on an average of about
80 percent of the valve of their stock,
and the Central Pacific pays on about
10 per cent of the market value of its
property. 1t is impossible to paint
house, single kitchen, or in any
wise make home pleasanter than
ealoon in Nevada, without being taxed
for 1t. The officers we elect are under
Che obligations of the tax dodgers, and
in order to raise revenue to pay their
own salaries they are forced to hound
honest men to death. They don't like
to do 1t, but they prefer it to hard
WORT.
The transfer of the power TO levy the
tax upoh'certain class of property from.
the Assessors In their Individual capac-
ICY, and subsequently eqnalized by the
County Commissioners, to- Board of
Assessors, is all that the new law ac-
composites. It gives mo security that
the Assessors as Board will not COM
NIT greater wrongs than as individuals.
In fact, it gives Promise that they will
do so. 1t will give them an opportun-
ity of placing any blame upon 'the
other fellow.n It will give them the
opportunity of bartering and trading
and forming combinations against GER
tain counties, and mo one will be to
b1ame," The people, under the new
law are deprived of the ability to
reach and punish their servants, and
cannot hold them to that strict &C.
countability to which they should be
held. The Commissioners are deprived
Of the opportunity of equalizing the
assessments according to the market
value of the particular band of stock,
having reference to their position,
condition and value. A band of sheep
ON one range may not be- worth. one
half the same number on another
range. The Board of Assessors can
take no notice OF that fact, and there is
NO provision for the appearance of the
owner beforei any power to equalize
his notwithstanding to the market
value of his property. True, he may
60 to law about it, Bot wfro does not
know that the law as a remedy is prac-
tically closed TO the poor, and who
does not know that many an honest
man will stand imposition and legal
robbery rather than go to law for his
remedy? have not looked at the new
law with reference to its constitutional
ity, but mere reading of it is enough
to excite suspicion that it is unconsti-
thtional. 1t does not take into con-
sideration enough facts to enable the
Board to assess the property under the
constitutional limitations. l have on
several occasions publicly announced
my position, without equivocation,
and believe have always been found
right there. now claim that the new
revenue bill viii result in reducing the
amount of money paid for taxes by the
Central Pacific Railroad Company. 1t
is immaterial now whether that wvs
the object or not The bill is now law
Timpugn no i'll motive to any one who
may have voted for it, because a man
can ignorantly do wrong; but believe
in this case that is the only way it
6odid be done honestly. The ''push"
will now meet at Carson on the Second
Mondov If To nt,orv of aooh and ax,ar.,