The Salt Lake tribune. [volume] (Salt Lake City, Utah) 1890-current, 1907-04-08
WHO Do YOU THINK
PAYS MOST TAXES?
Three Thousand Men Pay More
Than Joseph F.
Smith.
MAYOR TH0MPS0N'S TAX
GREATER THAN CHURCH
Hierarchy Gets Off With MeaSly
Sum, That Looks Bad on
Its Face.

How much taxes do the twenty.six
hierarchs payG
That is a question of much interest
just now. 1t is q question asked The
Tribune, and, in view of the repeated
declaration of the Mormon press that
Salt Lakes growth is being retarded
because of the efforts of men who are
not under the control Of church. the
records are being searched for an an
swer
The answer will astonish the average
property owner of Salt Lake. Not be-
cause there are any who believes the
leaders of the church are doing any
thing toward building up the city and
county, but because most men have felt
that these church leaders, who draw
from the people nearly two million dol
lars a year in tithes, contributed their
share toward the general expense.
But they do not.
Total Tax Very Small.
The total amount of taxes which the
twcnjy-siX men pay into the Golfers OF
Salt Lake City and county would run
the sheriff s Office, for instance, but
thirty-six days! II would not pay the
expenses of a single Office in the City
ard County building for A single ycarl
What do they all pay7
S2675.7S. That's all,
Joseph f. Smith, personally paid but
S2l5.79 toward the support of the city
and county last year exclusive of the
$500 ine) and yet he has five families,
has FIVE homes, and is believed To be
q man of considerable personal wealth.
The appraised valuation Of the property
assessed to him, personally, is but
5000.
Doesn't Pay His Share.
Three thousand men in Salt Lake
county perhaps contributed more than
did this rich and powerful head Of the
great Mormon church.
OF the hierarchy. Robert T. Burton,
Of the presiding btshoprie,l pad
George Tcasdalc, David o.. Mackay,
George f. Richards. Charles y. Hart
and Brigham H. Roberts were not as
sessed. Rul0n s. Wells, one of the Sew
entries and the member of the council
who has most 10 say about extravaganza
and civic pride and official integrity,
paid two dollars and nincty-pinc cents
on personal property and let his $3I2o
real estate be sued for taxes
Joseph L. Smith, trustee in-trust. paid
on an assessment Of but $2l ,G45 or
S74926 taxes The Church of Jesus
Christ OF Lattcr.day Saints paid on an
appraisement Of S2s3,56O or $94l2.i3
taxes.
The total Of the hierarchy. the trus-
te iD-truSt aud the church was but
Sl2.S37.77 for the city and county on
valuation Of s3S7 sos.
Sheriff Office Costs More.
II costs the taxpayers Of Salt Lake
county moro than that sum to pay for
the Office help and expenses of the sher-
III ofiicei
The personal taxes Of Mayor Ezra
Thompson last year were almost as
much as all of the hierarchs, the church
1 - Q.
The assessor found S326,505 of the Ma
yor's personal property. o. j. Sails
bury. The Smoot chairman, paid on $32,-
020 or $ll2359 taxes, and he Is known
TO be very rich man aud TO have a
home worth double his assessment.
Not counting his holdings in corpora.
lions, David Keith paid on a personal
assessment OF s3S9,0l5 or $l3,64a,09
taxes This exceeds the church, the
hierarchy ana the trustee-in trust by
more than eight hundred dollars. but
he is a "knockcr' and trying to re-
tard the growth Of the city.
Samuel H. Auerbach is the largest in
dividual taxpayer in Salt Lake county,
His taxes last year, on personal hold
comes next, with $780, 90.
Mat Walker Is Fifth
Mat Walker, outside of his corpora.
tion holdings which are known to be
very large, paid personally the fifth
largest tax, Ss463.45. Thomas Kearn 8
individual taxes were ss436.49. The
next highest individual taxpayer is F.
D. Cliff He contributed S72S5.6S
Eighteen men and women pay a heavier
individual tax than ". S. Mccormick
who is reputed to be the wealthiest man
in Salt Lake. His taxes last year were
but Sl73s.5s and he paid on an APP
praisement of $59,9a5
In no case. except the church, is cor
poration holdings included in the fore
going figure. The taxes are individual
Later a list of the heavy taxpayers will
be published II will show in words
that are eloquent who are making Salt
Lake grow and who are drawing from
il great styeams of wealth without bear
ing fair Share of the public burden.