Durango semi-weekly herald., 1902-03-03
A rAx-oooelne CONCERN.
IRailroad Bulletin. |

me members Oh the Legislature TO IN
, corporate in the new revenue law a
provision requiring the assessment of
all roads upon the market price of
their securities and threatening these
members with the terrors of the News
unless they vote to suit the editor o;
that paper.
The railroads of this state have no
objection to any revenue law or any
provision of the revenue law, provided
this law is administered fairly, faith
fully and equally toward all property
owners, whether they be individuals
Or corporations 1t is manifest in.
justice, however, to attempt to apply
one measure to the value of the rail-
roads. and another measure to the
value of other corporations like the
Rocky Mountain News. An assess.
ment based on the market price OF
stocks and bonds is. in its last analy-
SIS, an income tax; in other words. /.
ls an assessment based on the earning
capacity or income producing power
OF the property. This method ap-
piled to one class of property and not
to others Is so manifestly contrary to
the constitution of Colorado that II
requires no argument to demonstrate
it.
But is the News entitled to be heard
on any question of taxation? Not un-
til its owners have paid the state of
Colorado and the county of Arapahoe
the taxes which 1t has defrauded
these municipalities out of for the last
six years. The average assessment
of the News for the past six years has
been $lS.600. The members of the
Legislature were taken in body to
the Office of this concern recently and
shown its magnificent equipment At
that time various members of the
News star referred TO the value oil its
plant, fixing the value of 1t all the way
from $750.000 to $1,000 900. as an in
come bearing property
The editor, however, did not inform
the members OF the legislature that
, the assessment of this property had
been but $lS,600 on an average for the
last six years. Nor did he say to the
members that the property had been
paying for some time. and is now pay
ing an income on nearly $7bO.0OO
The attention of the county assessor
, of Arapahoe county is invited to sec
. tions 81, 81, SO and "a OF the Revenue
Law OF ,190l in connection with the
return d the Rocky Mountain News
Tor taxation. The News has been as
sailing the railroads for daring to
| resist illegal taxation. This concern
itself is not without experience in
matters OF this kind. BY reference to
, l no Nf hn Tar.
the case of the Board of County Com
missioners VS.. the Rocky Mountain
, News Printing company will be
lfound reported. That was suit by
/ Arapahoe county against the Rocky
Mountain News to endeavor to make
, it pay its fair share of the taxes The
: county assessor assessed the News
|, Associated Press franchise at $25, 900.
, The News resisted the collection of
this tax and took an appeal against
' the judgment OF the court below. 1t
| was charged in the pleading on be-
half OF the county as follows; THAT
) the board of county commissioners is
r informed and believes that said plain
T tiff. the News Printing company, pays
t an income to its stockholders OF ut
least per cent on valuation of
5 100000 and that but small portion
: OF this value is represented by tangi-
f BILE property OF the plaintiff"
, The result of this litigation was a
, victory for the News in the upper
3 court, and it thus escaped the pay
l ment of just and reasonable taxes as
t sessed against it. The entire assess
ment, including its Associated Press
, franchise for that year amounted to
l $4,000 BY succeeding in this litiga-
| tion the News had Its assessment re-
/ duced to $4,000, on which amount 1t
+ paid its taxes for the year in contro-
versy. In the argument filed by the
law partners OF the proprietor of the
: Rocky Mountain News, this interest
ing quotation il found:
. 'It now only remains for us to no
Itice only one other plea of the attor-
neys for plaintiff in error, /. e., the
: board OF commissioners OF Arapahoe
= county. and that 1t is necessary to tax
3 this membership contract. |. e., its
+ Associated Press francise. or else the
| owners of the News will escape taxa
e ton There is not particle OF evi
Z Gelltt Ill tut thSt tlldt INC LN'"h Is
/ worth dollar more than the valua
( ton on which 1t was paying taxes
s namely $4,000. But lie, US assume
4 that Mr. Patterson and the other own
e ers could sell their stock in the cor
I poration for several hundred thous
and dollars Then the answer is thai
Y this stock should be assessed at its
l. market value, which could be easily
p determined, and this would be a per
d fectly fair. just and legal system o.
: taxation, provided, of course, thai
d other owners of stock in other cor
/. porations were likewise assessed.
The owners of the News geek t'
6 escape no taxation. On the contrary
N they are anxious and willing, and al
Il ways have been, to contribute theil
d full proportion of the taxation which
l. should be borne by all taxpayers