The Idaho Springs siftings-news., 1906-11-24
NEEDED CHANCES
RECOMMENDED By ATTORNEY
GENERAL OF COLORADO.
TO SAVE INHERITANCE TAX
Should Be Special Clerk in Auditors
Office-ShouId Change Makeup Of
State Land Bosrd-Railroads should
ae exempted From Flat Tax Law.

Denver. With recommendations
entirely in its organization; that
clerk be appointed in the auditors Of
fee to look after inheritance tax coll
lcctions; that the law be changed and
that a law be enacted compelling all
corporations organized under the laws
OF the state TO be explicit in the pur>
poses OF their organization, Attorney
General N c. Miller submits his ben,
nial report to Governor Mcdonald
In 1t Mr.. Miller states that while for
rrerly the criminal work of his office
was the most important, it is not so
now "The work that requires the most
time" he says, RELATES to the civil law,
For instance the revenue act imposing
the inheritance tax has made an i'm
mcnse amount of labor for this office
Although the law imposes no duty on
this office to look after the collection
OF the inheritance tax, yet the governor
has he right to direct the attorney gen
eral to take care OF all suits in which
beer done by written order.
In my judgment the work arising
from the Inheritance tax law is becom-
lug too large and important to be han
died in this way. The bookkeeping and
auditing department of the state is In
the auditors office, and my judgment
Is that clerk should be provided who
has authority 10 examine all papers and
inquire into all proceedings concerning
Inheritance tax. when matters appear
which should be litigated the auditor
has he authority to call upon the attor-
noy general to take charge"
In discussing the land board the at
torney general suggests complete
change. At present the board is made
uD of the governor. the attorney gen
erai, secretary of state and the state
superintendent OF public instruction.
There are employed by the board reg
lister, a deputy and a chief appraiser.
During the biennial period under Coy
ernor Orman the revenues for tho
state from its lands were S32J 900 This
increased to s515, 900 under Governor
Peabody, and by tho end of the present
biennial period will have increased to
$690o00. SO that the work OF the board
is constantly growing
Mr.. Miller suggests that three per.
sons could be employed at very liltle
r!ore than is paid now to the register
and his assistants. to devote their en-.
tire time to the work and take il en-.
tlrely from the control of the other
state officers. This, he believes, would
mean vast saving to the state as the
revenues arising from the busines
could be made much larger II 1t Were
looked after closely.
Railroad corr 1rations. Mr.. Nillel
says. should be taxed upon their mile
age in the state. and not upon their 20
tai capitalization as is provided for in
the fiat tax law, All other corpora
tions, he says, should be taxed on thei,
total capitalization az the law pro
vides. To carry out this suggestion
would necessitate a slight change In
the law, and this is recommended
Other recommendations are given un
Ger the discussion on corporations. One
Is that a law should be enacted com
pelling all domestic corporations to be
specific as to the purposes for which
they are organized. Also that domes
tic corporations should be required tc
have an agent upon whom all paper.
could be served