Albuquerque evening citizen. [volume] (Albuquerque, N.M.) 1905-1907, 1905-11-09
TAX STATISTICS
IN NEW MEXICO
Gathered From Official jOurC.
les With Interesting
Arrangement.
WORTHY OF CAREFUL READING

80 "
owe half a million dollars over that
of the year previous, brought about
by the fact that the FL Paso & North
eastern railway is taxed for the first
time in Otero county. The exceptions
amount to 2.52S.164.75, an increase
of over 100000 over last year. leav.
ing the assessment for taxation pur-
poses almost $500 900 greater than in
the year previous. Had it not been
for heavy losses in cattle and sheep
on the range during the winter and
spring of 1~904-1905, due to inadequate
shelter and lack of provision for feed.
ing, the assessment would show a
much greater increase. San Miguel
county takes the lead in assessments,
its total for 1905 being $4,03O.7S2
Bernalillo county is second with a
total of $3,572,454 and Chaves county
third with $3,222,335 other counties
having an assessment over ST. 0 900,
are: Colfax, 1880, SIS; Grant, 81
S1O,950; Socorro. $2.333, 800: Dona
Ana, $2,309, 412.50; Eddy, $2,0S6,3 $50,
and Otero, $~2,027,927. The counties
having an assessment of between 81
100000 and $4,000, 900. are: Santa Fe,
$1,796,572; Union, s1,714,627; Luna,
$1,559,54S; Valencia, $1,315.0 74; Mora,
$1,3l1, 225; Sierra, s 1897, sos; Rio Ar
riba, $1,045, 500; Lincoln, $1,044,535:
Roosevelt, $%1,014,S26. The counties
with an assessment roll of less than
1900, 900, are: Mckinley. S992,473;
San Juan, $917,7 19; Guadalupe. 1929
219; Sandoval, $S10,S39; Taos. $780,
Gel; Quay, $3.50, 1928; and Torrance,
$319,9S1.
In comparison, it will be interesting
to note the amount of territorial tax
es paid by each county for the year
ending June 80, 1905: San Miguel
contributed S43,7S9. The following
counties contributed over $50. 900:
Chaves, s4S,627; Bernalillo, $39,O91;
Grant, $39,177; Colfax, $36,347; and
Union, $50 ,422. Those that contributed
between 100000 and $50, 900. were:
Eddy. S26,30S; Socorro. S23,97O; Dona
Ana, $23, 400; while the following paid
into the territorial treasury between
$4,000 and 100000: Luna, S19,662;
Otero, S19,397; Sierra, s1S,026; Santa
Fe, $17,216; Valencia, S16,601; Lincoln,
$16,170; Mckinley, $13,526; Mora,
FLbfopN putlholuBtt plVsGlV. llG
showing of several counties would be
much poorer were it not for taxes paid
by railroads, in some counties the rail
roads having contributed over one
half of the taxes collected. The coun-
ties in which less than $4,000 terri.
torial taxes were collected, were: Rio
Arriba, $S,S43; San Juan, $S,41S;
Roosevelt, $7,967; Quay, 1857; Taos,
S6,S16; and Sandoval, $6.731.
The most interesting comparison is,
however, the per capita assessment of
each county less the railroad assess.
ment and exemptions, and the per
capita taxes paid. Taking the school
census of 1905 for the basis, the per
capita assessment of the counties
ranges as follows: Chaves. $40S.14.
The only otner counties having a per
capita assessment exceeding 5000 are:
Eddy, S234,09; Quay, $217.41, and
Luna, $204.S3, in all four the prin-
cipal wealth being in stock, especially
cattle.
Counties having a per capita assess
ment of between 800 and 5000, are:
Sierra, $195.73; Colfax, $193.7S: Nc
Kinley, $177.9S; Otero, $156.4S; San
Juan, $152.53; Lincoln, $141.47; Roose-
welt, S14O.69; San Miguel, $118.23 and
Bernalillo, $113.92. The counties in
which the per capita assessment is
less than 500, are: Torrance, 500. SO:
Dona Ana, s9S.23; Socorro, $97. 20:
Guadalupe, $1,000; Santa Fe, $73.54;
Valencia, $72.29; Sandoval. $69.52;
Mora, 500. A; Rio Arriba, $39.3S, and
Taos, $36.76. In other words, Chaves
county is eleven times as rich per
capita is as is Taos county; almost
Six times as rich as Santa Fe county;
almost four times as rich as Ber-
nalillo county, and more than twice as
rich as Colfax county.
To those who assert that territorial
taxation is excessive, it may be Of in
terest to know that during the past
fiscal year Santa Fe county contribu-
ted only SO cents per capita to the
territorial treasury, and that would
have been reduced more than one-half
had it not been for taxes paid by the
railroads. Mckinley county leads in
that particular, its contribution having
been S6.0l per capita. Luna county
stood second with 1856 per CAPITA.
and Chaves county third with S4.74
per capita. The other counties ranged
Us % olNAlds otsVt. UNION.
1891; Eddy, $40; Grant. S3.16: Col.
fax, $3.13; Quay, S3.O5; Otero, $2.46:
Lincoln, $3.50; Valencia, SIG; San
Miguel. Sl.67; Dona Ana, $1.66; Roose-
welt, Sl.59; San Juan, Sl.5G; Berna-
lilo, $1.54; Socorro, $1.5l; Guadalupe.
Sl.3l; Santa Fe, SO cents, and Taos, SO
cents. =
From all this it Is apparent that al
though there are reasons for some
differences in the per capita taxation.
there is still room for further equaliZa-
ton of the tax burden. Every man
should be asked to contribute towards
the expenses of the government which
protects him, except he be a pauper,
and it is no credit to New Mexico that
over one-half Of its voting population
does not appear upon the assessment
or tax lists at all.
IL is but justice 10 state, as far as
Santa Fe county is concerned, that
its low place in the payment Of terri
torial taxes is to be. ascribed to the
fact that many of its taxpayers have
been delinquent for years, and have
not paid the taxes assessed against
them. This Is partly the fault OF the
taxpayers and partly Of the officials
who have had charge of the collection
of taxes, The collectors for several
years past have been derelict. A bet
ter state of affairs, it is believed, has
been inaugurated and Santa Fe county
viii make a better showing hereafter.
New Mexican.
Egaa. a. ~. -