Graham guardian., 1906-07-20
Mr.. BALKE'S VIEWS
Discusses the Question Of Taxa
ton from The View Point Of
Some Of the StOCkmen
EDITOR GUARDIAN:

EDITOR GUARDIAN:
In the GUARDIAN of July 9th, |
notice under the caption "Equali-
cation Board" the following;
"Outside of the mining and rail
road interests, the cattle industry
has paid less taxes than any other
interest"
For the sake of justice and fair
play, / feel compelled to state that,
in my opinion, this is certainly a
mistake, at least, as far as this part
of the country is concerned, where
! am fully conversant with the
facts, and have, as deputy, at
tended to the assessing for five
years.
| am we'll aware, that on an
average, the cattle raisers do not
render more than about fifty per
cent Of the number they own,
while other interests, especially
farmers and other real estate own
ers, having all their property in
sight, cannot help but render in
full But, as the valuation and
not the mere number of pieces of
property, can be the only fair
basis of equalizlug assessments, |
am convinced that even at the
above rate (50@6 of the number
they own, the cattlemen have, for
the past two years at least, paid
more taxes in proportion to the
value of their property, than any
other prominent interest of the
county. In substantiation of this
statement, submit the following
facts:
Up to three years ago thu aver
age market value of stock cattle
was SIS per head, delivered at the
stopping point, and the valuation
for assessment was $40 per head.
Since then the market value has
declined at least $500 per head,
still the valuation was left at $40.
There have been right here dur
ing the last two years, five differ
ent sales of stock cattle, including
the steers, which were insisted on
in the contracts. In two of the
cases (l50 and 250 head respect.
fully the owners received $40 per
head, delivered at Magdalena, New
Mexico, about 1875 miles away.
In the other three cases, aggrega
ting about 600 head, the price paid
was Sl2 per head, all calves under
six months old to be thrown in,
and to be delivered at Silver City. |
The cost for gathering and driving
was So per head, as was actually
paid in three of the cases; the in
spection fee was five cents per
head. Thus, not overestimating |
the unavoidable loss in gathering |
and driving, the price realized in
two cases was s7.95, in the other
three cases, S9.95, which gives an
average of so per head, or Sl.00
less than the assessed valuation.
Cowponies are valued at S25,
which is about their full average
value.
Compare with this Angora goats
and sheep valued at so per head,
though there is not one of them
worth the herding, which could
be bought for less than 81; still
these are, even at the rate Of 75% |
of the real number rendered, taxed
higher than all other property,
except cattle, especially town lots
and improvements, merchants
stock, banks, money lenders, and
farm lands in cultivation and un-
der ditch or seeded to alfalfa, all
of which are, as far as they have
come under my observation, not
valued for assessment more than
20 or rs per cent Of their value.
| have not the exact figures at
my disposal, but will take Mr..
Birdno's statement in the GUAR
DIAN some time last year, that the
railroad paid only or about so of
their value, the mine owners at the
raised assessment or about l0%
while the rest of the property in
the county averaged 20%.
Now if this is a fact, the cattle
owners, even if they rendered only
Ia OF the number Of their cattle,
would still be paying more than
the average. /