The Roswell daily record. [volume] (Roswell, N.M.) 1903-current, 1907-01-22

1lSAlS d. YOU uCCm PlOPCA- Ahr1s
believe, should be done. even if the
revision should not be as complete as
might be desired at this session OF the
legislature. 1 suggest that in whatev
er revision of the session of laws you
are able to accomplish you bear in
mind the three fundamental defects
which. among a great many good pro-
visions, are now generally apparent
throughout these laws:
First: Defects relative 20 equitable
assessment of property.
No system of taxation can possibly
Se just to the taxpayers if h valua-
lion of the same class of property is
fixed at a higher rate in n place
thar in another. Unfortunately, this
is what repeatedly happens in the
Territory. 1t is due to two causes,
one being the failure of the assessors
to properly classify h property, and
the other failure of the assessor and
county commissioners to place the
proper valuation o. the property, ev-
Ell if it mas been properly classified
There are areas of timber LAND in Uhe
Territory which are classified as graz
ing lands, and assessed as low as
twenty cents per acre. The valua-
ton of the timber lands as fixed by
the Board of Equalization is from 81.
so to $500 per acre, according to their
location; and the valuation of graz
ing lands is from 80 cents to SIPS per
acre.
Their are large areas of coal and
mineral lands, the real market value
of which is many hundred per cent
higher than the assessed valuation ul
der an classification. The
timber lands of the entire Territory
were returned last year at the insig-
nificant figure of 1921, 1850 when the
amount of lumber produced during the
year was valued at $1,25O,000. TIE
coal and mineral lands were return
ed at only s1.11S. $4,000, M the val
"a s4.676.63O.
My attention has been called to the
valuation fxed by the Board of Equal
cation upon the property of banks as
being inequitable. The Board has fix
ed such valuation at sixty per cent
of the capital Cat par) and the sur
plus, and, while the stock of banks is
usually worth more than par, the
bankers complain, with some justice,
that they are compelled to pay taxes
-, hirha- -oIotS-a 49,
other property. The proper way, if
possible 70 do so, to remedy this mat
ter, is not to reduce the valuation on
banking property DR. n other class
gible and definitely accessible for as
sessment, but raise the valuation rela-
lively on all other classes of property
and h e reduce the rate of taxation.
The unequal assessment and wrong
full classification of property car be
remedied by clearly providing that the
values as fixed by the Board of Equal
Zation shall be enforced throughout
the Territory and by establishing p
cifc penalties against assessors and
county commissioners who fail to en-
force them. In order to aid ii doing
this 1 recommend hat the laws con
corning the Board of Equalization be
amended so as to contain such speci-
fc grant of power, making it ma1da-
tory pOn county officers to adopt
strong and specific penalties for their
failure to do so. l would also sug-
gest that the law providing for
the removal of officers, who have
to do with the assessment and
collection of taxes, by the court, be SO
amended that it shall be the duty of
the District Attorney, in the name of
the Territory, to bring action against
sue officers VINO fail to perform any
of their official duties, including the
duty of classifying and assessing pro-
perty in accordance with the findings
of the Board of Equalization, whether
pom the affidavit of a taxpayer or not
The Board IF Equalization should al
SO have the power to review tax mat
tiers in the various countries regard
VI "ho'nci SuSA mo"eCiS dic uiol
before them upon appeal a is now
provided.
Second: Defects relative to the ma
king of proper returns by the proper
ty owner:
The law now provides a penalty for
failing to render true lists. but there
is great laxity in many parts of the
Territory in the enforcement of such
penalty, and new provisions which
uouId p,otp Spob a,foroa-ant r,oro