The Delta independent., 1902-10-31
Tn. Ball. in the n.eh,,. Act.
L. T, rwitche!l, In Field 4 Farm

L. r, rwitche!l IN Field 4 Farm
have secured from some OF the rep.
resentative counties OF the state the
respective values OF tho lands. invest
ments and personality as assessed for
1901. Let Us look at the way in which
the bill would affect agricultural lands.
AS an illustration one farm is classed at,
lands $4,000. Improvements q 900. and
now pays upon a valuation OF $ll, 600.
Under the Bucklin bill 1t would pay
upon 10000. Or to illustrate further:
At the present valuation OF 1900 1T
three Fer cent levy the tax would be
$780, Under the Bucklin bill at u SlO,-
COO valuation, the rate being doubled,
the tax would be S6C0
In Delta county for instance. an agri-
cultural, horticultural and grazing sec
tion, land and lots are valued at SSH
COO; personally and improvements 81 .23O.
600. Here under the Bucklin bill the
rate would be increased 146 per cent.
We find that outside OF the towns the
lands are valued at s134.COC; improve.
ments and personally. app oximately
100000; total 81, ,434.OO0. In the town
the lot value is 100000. improvements
and personality s530,0t0; total S637 900
Under the present system the towns
pay three-tenths OF tho entire revenue
Under the Bucklin system the towns
would pay only one-eighth OF the rev.
enue aud the country outside would
pay seven eighths.
To illustrate more clearly: Say it is
necessary to raise s75. 600 revenue. The
rate at present would be 371e mills on
total valuation OF s2.O7l ,OO0 The towns
valuation being s637 600 would pay s22,-
500; the country valuation being 81 ,434.-
600 would pay $500. Under the Buck
lin bill the valuation upon which the
tax would be levied would be the land
value ouly-ss4l ,OOO-and the rate
would be s0.2 mills, 30 that the towns
on tho lot valuation OF 100000 would
pay se'540. and the outside country
would pay on e734, 90. s65. AGO. being an
increase to the burden of the outside
country OF 81, 1850 aud a like decrease
on town property. By this it is seen
wherein the Bucklin bill would dis
criminate against agricultural and graz.
ing lands.
In Arupahoe county the land and lot
value is approximately equal to the i'm
provement and person atty value, go that
,t,I 4, a.
alton on land would be double wat it
is now. great mum Der OF the larger
taxpayers in the city OF Denver would,
however. be benefited, and many es-
cape taxation altogether. For instance
the Joslin drygoods company. now pay
ing on valuation Of sl53. TO merchan-
disc. would pay nothing under the
BuckIin bill. The First national bank
now paying on esluation of s966. 600,
would under the Bucklin bill pay only
upon sl5l 600. The Equitable building.
now paying upon valuation OF $3.50. 600
would under the Bucklin bill pay only
upon S230.OO0. All merchandising and
industrial institutions renting property
would have no taxes to pay Whatever.
While We have no definite figures at
hand to demonstrate conclusively the
fact, We feel that it can be safely as
serted that the amount OF money raised
in the state for the state. county, muni-
cipal and school purposes exceeds ol2,
100000. The total valuation in the
state according 70 the 1901 aaseaamenf
is approximately se4,oo0,Ooo. so this
would require an average rate Of prac
tically twenty seven mills on the dollar
TO pay the running expenses.