Durango semi-weekly herald., 1906-10-29

the declared law Of the land IL abso-
lutte and sure authority against taking
the taxpayers money In this way. Is
IT. not?
Is 1t not true that your spiel" be.
fore the late Democratic convention |
In yoicing your lamentation over what |
YOU denominate the smelter outrage |
was made to distract attention from |
your own fragrant shortcomings?
Is IL not true that the present Re-
publican board OF county commission
ers have caused the valuation Of the
American Smelling and Refining COM
pany plant to be raised about t7b 900
more than the late Democratic board
of commissioners did the preceding
year, and Is II not further true that 1t
is now assessed, and its valuation
fixed at higher figure than ever be-
fore and the taxes thereon honestly
and promptly paid?
Again, Is 1t not true that Mr.. Henry
Arnold, for different parties. offered
to buy the abstract books OF the AD-
stract company few years ago for
1000 and the offer was refused? Is
II not further true that you, Mr.. Cos
ton, paid Mr.. Lovea more money for
a small block OF the stock Of the Abb
stract company only a year or 30 ago
than the entire property Of the com
pany is assessed at? And Isn't 1t
true that as the Abstract company's
property has been assessed for the
last six years at less than $500 and
was worth at least $4,000 that cut
ting these figures in two this company
has elnded taxation in these six years
of Just valuation on over $4,000 In
value and amounting to between ST.
900 and $4,000 in taxes the people OF
the county were entitled to have paid
into their treasury?
And again, isn't it true that during
these six years you have charged the
people up prices for abstracts and
tnat in four of these years you did not
nay any taxes at all on the ridicu-
lously low assessment you did put In?
Under the facts and circumstances
Is not a pretense that You two are
the friends of the tax-paying people
sham and a fraud and that you In
dulge that cause simply to blind and
deceive the voters. Just as you
blinded and deceived the city council
into turning over $523.40 of the city's
money--a straight graft and without
u vestige of right to the money.
Certain questions have been asked
| through these columns some OF which
have not been answered by the per
sons to whom they were addressed.
| AS they can be answered from the
public records, and es the answers
might be of interest to the voters. we
have caused the matters to be looked
up and find:
| First-Mr. Coston was paid by the
city of Durango $523.40 on March IA.
1906, ON warrant No. 1895, for SER
| vices within his duties as county as
SCISSOR.
Second-In 1898. IN case OF Walpole
VS.. Pueblo, ~ Colo. App. 151. the court
held that the city was not liable to
the county assessor for his services
In making up the tax list. because the
statute fixed prescribed sum to be
paid him out of the county treasury
as his compensation for all services
imposed upon him, the court saying:
"It was the evident intention of
the legislature to determine what
was and should be adequate COM
pensation to these officers las
sessors) for the performance of
all duties laid on them by the
various acts governing the collec-
tlon of revenue; whether the rev.
enues OF ths county or the rev.
enues OF municipalities within the
county limits. The salary is def
mite. fixed and certain and must
be taken as the measure OF COM
pensation."
| The salary of the assessor Is fixed
by the act of 1903 and, under this de-
cislon, he was not entitled 10 this
money paid him by the city.
| Third-Mr. w. A. Reese was city
attorney at the time this bill was paid
and. presumably. advised the council
In the premises. Its allowance was
contrary to the above decision.
| Fourth-We don't know what con-
siderations influenced the presenta-
tion and allowance OF this bill. 1t was
allowed under the circumstances as
given above.
Fifth--Mr. Coston is. and for some
time has been the manager of the
La Plata County Abstract Of Title
| company.
Sixth-It ~ q corporation, chartered
by the state.
Seventh-There are no other abb
| stract books and there is no other
Abstract company In this county SO
far as We know.
Elghth-It appears from the treas,
urers books that this abstract COM
pany which Mr.. Coston manages, has
not paid any taxes for either OF the
years 1900. 1901. 1909 or 1908.
Ninth-The certificate of paid-up
| stock filed by the company (see file
No. S00) shows Its capital stock to be
| $4,000 fully paid In. The actual value
is believed to be considerably more
than this amount.
Tenth-For the year 1905 Mr.. Cos
ton assessed this Abstract company
on total valuation Of only S475.
Eleventh-It appears from the treas.
urers books that Mr.. Coston did not
pay any military poll tax In either
the years 1901, 1909, 1903 or 1904.
He did pay In these years on a total
valuation of ten dollars, a total tax
for the whole four years of one dollar
and eighty-five cents,
Chancellor Buchtel is not running
as a minister, but as a citizen and a
prominent and distinguished member
Of tho Ranuhltnau ,,a,t,, .ua 4. l. -