Santa Fe new Mexican. [volume] (Santa Fe, N.M.) 1898-1951, 1901-09-23
MORE LIGHT ON
ASSESSMENTS


That the Board Of Equalization Did No
One an Injustice by Its Recent
Action.
LOW ASSESSMENTS In THE
MEADOW CITY
Special Correspondence New Mexican.
East Las Vegas, N. M, Sept. 20, '91.
The stand which the New Mexican
has taken in the matter of the assess
ment of property in this territory for
the purposes of taxation ought to
commend itself to every honest citizen.
The trouble in the matter is that we
are lat ,rk,g under condition brought
i6f Mexico certain ella IS of tax dodg-
leor. the 4cessari'y every man tries to
get his taxes dow a. low as possible.
No one man wants to make a patriot
out of himself solely at his own ex-
pense. When a man makes out his tax
return, he generally loans his con-
science to someone living outside the
jurisdiction and only gets it back af-
ter he has paid his taxes.
Now l have heard considerable about
the action of the territorial board of
equalization in raising the assessed
valuation of stocks of merchandise in
30 Tn, nr1n fn
much this action on the part of the
board would affect the taxes to be
paid on stocks of merchandise in East
Las Vegas, l made a personal inspec-
ton of the tax returns for this pre-
cinct, No. 80, that being the precinct
in which is located the city of East
Las Vegas, commonly known as Las
Vegas, and not including the old town.
The assessment on every dollars
worth of merchandise for the year 1901
in this city is as follows. I have taken
the pains to give each mans return,
so that everyone in the territory can
see for himself just how capable and
patriotic our citizens are in the mat
ter Of taxes.
The total assessed valuation on all
stocks of merchandise in this city is
the sum of $139,30S, made up of the
assessments:
Mrs. ]. b. Allen $10O, Theodore Arnst
s4OO, A. C. Anderson $500, Browne and
Co., merchandise, $3O,0O0,
bonds, warrants, coupons $1O0, vehicles
in use $75, book accounts $1,000, w. e.
Critics 5000, S. A. Clements $40, Conti-
mental Oil CO. $3,16O, HI. G. Coors $1,000,
Chaffin & Duncan $493, j. A. Carruth
$40, James A. Dick $1,000, S. r. Dearth
$500, N. J. Dillon 5000, P. H. Doll $1,5Oo,
Esinger & Judell $1,75O, Fox & Harris
81, 500, B. f. Forsythe $500, M. Green
berger $2,75O, Gross, Blackwell & Co.,
100000, book accounts
So, 900, O. l.. Gregory assignee, drug
stock $1,000, G. A. Gossef $3.50, Charles
$3.50, X. D. Goodall $1,5O0,
f. J. Gehring $1,000, Graaf & Hayward
81 $780, Harris, " P. Jewelry Co. $500,
w. c. Heidel $500, Fred Harvey $500, W.
E. Hill $3.50, T. G. Mernin $500, Muir
phy-v. p. Drug Co. $1,000, J. A. Muir
ray $4OO, William Malboeuf $50, Mrs.
William Malboeuf $1,000, J. B. Mackel
81 ,20O L. H. Manko $1,000, Mrs. Manca
$780, H. A. Levy & Bro. $4,000, Amos F.
Lewis $1,000, J. Kenestrick $500, Port
man Drug Co. $780, B. c. Pittinger
$780, Strousse &. Bacherach $4,000, }. II.
Stearns $500, B. j. Symonds $500, w.
H. Seewald $15O, Robert Scrutton $42O,
A. c. Schmidt $4,000, Thomas Sanches
$780, J. r. Smith s1,5OO r. l.. Richmond
$500, Reich & Co. $1,250, w w. Raw
Inns $1O0, w. N. Rosenthal $1,50O, Mrs.
R. Ryan $500, Peter Roth 5000, George
Rose 5000, Rosenthal Bros. $2,5OO, f.
Worthington $3.50, Mrs. M. ]. Woods
$14O, Mrs. Clara Waring $3.50, Wagner
& Meyers $4,000, Truder & Swallow
$500, Sporleder Boot & Shoe Co. $4,000,
Dunn Bldg. & Sup. Co. $4OOO-Total
$139,30
Now is the action of the territorial
board in making raise of 10 per cent
or Is per cent unjust?
Fire insurance companies insure up
to a three-fourths valuation of the
property insured. The stocks of goods
and merchandise in this city are In
sured for over $500,0O0 and everyone
knows that the insurance carried is
not more than half the actual valua-
ton of the property Ensured. Really
had the raise been so per cent on this
class of property the territorial board
would have been nearer fair valua-
ton for purposes Of assessment.
If a man could buy all this property
at the valuation returned by the own
ers, he could set up a department
store, sell at one-half the actual val
uation, and retire from business in
one year a millionaire.
Is there any remedy for this condi-
ton of affairs? Yes, there is reme-
dy, and that Is the election of men as
assessors all over the territory who
have moral courage sufficient to as
sess everybody as they ought to be as
sessed. The territorial board Is to be
thanked for at least taking a step in
the right direction.
How much does a 10 per cent raise
on the assessed valuation of merchan-
disc in the city of Las Vegas amount
to then? The sum Of 13,930.SO, which
will produce a tax If all is collected, at
4 per cent amounting to $557.23, of
which enormous sum the two firms OF
Browne & Manzanares Co. and Gross,
Blackwell & Co. will have to pay near
ly one-half, leaving about $500 to be
paid by all the other merchants in the
oitv