The Courier. (Genoa, Nev.) 1899-1904, 1903-10-16
THE WEEKLY COURIER.
Carson Letter
Ed. COURIER:

The Southern Pacific Company has
published a new folder, in which the
resources of Nevada are very well set
out, indeed. r. L. Fulton, than whom
no man in Nevada better understands
its resources, or yields better de-
scriptive pen, is its principal author.
For many years, Mr.. Fulton has been
the land agent of the big company in
Nevada, and at all times has performed
his duties in most satisfactory man.
ner to all parties who dealt with the
company within the line of his en-
ployment. But Mr.. Fulton was severe
ly handicapped in his labors on the
folder. His peculiar position as an
agent of the big concern forbade his
setting up the rates of fares and
freights between Eastern points and
Reno, or any point in Nevada, side
by side with San Francisco or Sacra-
mento terminals. 1t would have been
of great advantage to this State, in
the way of inducing immigration, if
he could have made anything like a
decent showing in that particular.
Eight hundred dollars for carload
of freight from Chicago to Elko would
not look pretty alongside of $500 for
the same carload from the same point
to San Francisco-about 600 miles
further. 1t was severe handicap, and
| deeply sympathize with Mr.. Fulton
in his herculean task of inducing inn
migration to this State while laboring |
under such load. We must bear in |
mind that Mr. Fulton is not Atlas.
"When a man tries to do thing |
well, it doesn't take much else to keep |
him busy. "-George F. Talbot, Justice
of the Supreme Court of Nevada.
On Labor Day, at Reno, a large num-
Der of gentlemen "spread it on thickn
over the Drawn and sinew of the labor
ing man, and the several unions of the
surrounding country were strictly in
evidence. There is one fact that |
seems to have escaped attention, prob
ably because most of the "union" men
present had recently joined the ranks
of unionism; and that is the fact that |
the programs did not bear union
label
The Legislature of 1908 passed an
Act entitled, can Act relating to
aou,,+xy orox-orn ont and tho 1.oduotiou
of county taxation" which provides
that in all counties where the tax rate
for the year 1902 did not exceed Sl.50,
such rate shall not be exceeded for
the year 1908, and every year there
after it must be lowered at the rate of
not less than five cents on the hundred
dollars of valuation until fifty-cent
rate is reached; and in all counties
whose tax rate for county purposes in
1902 exceeded S1.50, the reduction must
be at the rate of ten cents every year
until it reaches $3.50, and thereafter it |
must be reduced at the rate of five |
cents every year until fifty-cent rate
is reached. Each reduction will have |
to be made up by corresponding |
raise in valuation. 1t is plainly evil |
dent that the railroads, which now pay
$3.50 on each 800 of assessed valua-
ton of $4,000 per mile, pay 1925 on
each mile per year, and that by the
time a fifty-cent rate is reached they
will pay only one-third as much as
they now pay, or S1Os.33 per mile. In
order for the roads to pay as much
when a fifty-cent rate is reached as they
do now, the State Board of Assessors
will have to assess the road at $40, 900
per mile. Who has the temerity to say
that the Board will ever do it? 1t
seems to be that the object of the law
is plainly visible through; - - - -
gong s'a'em aead taxes by from one
auce % two-thirds of what they now
pay.
Section II of the Act provides that
the State Board of Revenue shall be
empowered to employ, at such times
as may be necessary, an Examiner, who
shall inspect the accounts and records |
of the various counties, and shall re-
port any violation of the Act to the /
State Board. Violation of the Act en-
tails dismissal from office. The sum
of $500 per annum is appropriated for
the Examiner. The language of the |
statue does not empower the State /
Board to employ an Examiner; it only
says 1.-THE State Board of Revenue shall |
be empowered" When? How? Proper
granting words of power would be:
1.-The State Board of Revenue is hereby
empowered" etc. Having no power
to employ such person as an Examiner,
the employment is void. The Act does
not create the Office ofState Examiner, /
as some seem to believe; iii did, it /
would be unconstitutional heoause