Albuquerque weekly citizen. (Albuquerque, N.M.) 1891-19??, 1903-01-24

! received by the board. which will no
involve any direct expenditure by tn
! territory.
; For the protection OF our lands ther,
should be law requiring the Judge
OF ;he district court to especially I'm
struct their grand juries to lnvestigat,
INTO the cutting OF timber or othe
depredations on school sections or 9th
er territorial lands and making II tn,
duty OF each district attorney to pros
ecute any such offenders.
Taxation.
While the assessed value Of the ter
rltory has been increased during the
last year by sl,656 .945.33. IL Is stiIl far
below what it should be. The appar
ent decrease In value In eertnin conn
ties Is inexeusable. for It Is we'll
known fact that in all of those eohn.
ties there have been during the past
year great and valuable improvements
which should have appeared in the
assessment rolls. and the Inequality
between the different counties Is most
unjust to those returning fair value.
The present law on the subject of
assessment is ample. IL It were follow
ed by the officers whose sworn duty Il
Is to enforce these laws; but from To-
cal influence, Ignorance. indifference.
or some other cause, this plain duty la
violated In nearly every county In the
territory, resulting to great injustice
10 some counties and to some taxpay.
ers and n showing of the value of the
territory which is unjust to It. and
makes a very bad impression abroad.
besides resulting in a much higher
rate OF taxation for territorial pur.
poses than Is necessary and with no
practical benefit to anyone: for Il ls
necessary to raise a certain amount of
money for territorial purposes. and
low assessment produces high rate
OF taxation. while fair assessment Of
the property In the territory would re-
duce the rate OF taxation at least one.
half. As 1t seems impossible to get
the assessors to perform their sworn
duty, would recommend that the
powers OF the board OF equalization
be Increased, so that 1t may fix and
adjust values In the counties, as well
as between the different counties In
the territory. This board Is composed
OF gentlemen from every part of the
territory familiar with values and con
ditions In their respective districts.
and are not affected by any local Inter.
est which would prevent them from
acting fairly. The power might be
given them to fix values for territorial
purposes only. leaving each county
free to continue the present ineffective
and ruinous system II It desires. but
at all events you should devise some
system by which the assessed value OF
the territory as whole should be
made to appear somewhere near what
II actually is. The equalization board
has full and complete report which
goes as part Of this message and
would invite your special and particu-
lar attention 20 the same In this con-
nection. See Exhibit f.
In order 20 present this fully to your
body, | give the following abstract OF
the assessment rolls OF eacn county
for 1909:
(Here follows abstract.)
Travelling Auditor.
In my message to the Thirty-thi
legislative assembly. made a recon-
menoation for the creation of the office
of travelling auditor" and also in my
message to the Thirty-fourth legisla.
tive assembly, renewed my recon.
mendation in the following words:
Il would also renew my recommen.
dation for the creation OF an office TO
be known as travelling auditor or terri
toriai examiner; the duty OF such ON.
Ger to be the examination OF the as.
sessment rolls. tax lists, collectors
and treasurers accounts, and terri.
toriai banks. at stated or egular In
tervals, and establish and maintain |
uniform system In each county for the !!
keeping OF records and accounts. This |
office has been most successful In Wy |
oming, where 1t has been In operation
since 1892, and the system has been
adopted In many other states with |
great saving in money and labor to the
county and state officials."
J again, at this time, recommend to |
you this important measure. This Of |
nee was needed badly four years age,
was needed two years ago. and the
conditions as they exist today demand
more imperatively than ever that the
interests OF the territory be
and the business OF the ter,
ritory pertaining to the assessment of
property for purposes OF taxation, the
collection Of taxes. and the keeping of
proper accounts with treasurers and