The Idaho Springs siftings-news., 1908-10-24
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running order, for political purposes,
a political machine under and by vir-
Tue of the assessed valuation of the
property of this county. at the same
valuation which had been assessed
prior to their incumbency, in the year
1901 raised the assessed valuation of
all the property in the county from
valuation of 81, 1877, AS. 90 to SO, 043,-
Slo.oo, thus making an increase IL
the assessed valuation of 1868, S65. 90
and at the same time increasing the
taxes. which the people of this county
would have to pay, averaging about
tRlrty five per cent over. and above
ht they had paid in prior years.
And notwithstanding this increase
In the valuation. and increase in the
taxes, they increased the Indebtedness
that'year about six thousand dollars.
The assessed valuation for the year
1901, under the Democratic admins
tration was higher than it ever was
before. or ever has been since.
When this Democratic board as
sumed their office, all mining claims
were assessed at the rate OF $40 per
acre. During their incumbency this
Democratic board increased the as
sessed valuation of all patented claim
one hundred per cent. During their
entire time they kept up the valuation
OF $40 per acre on patented claims.
The present Republican board has
rD1 h. -aJ,
acre in 1906, and $4,000 per acre for
1908.
AS general thing the taxes or
other real estate has been reduced
about fifteen percent, these reduc-
tions occurring in a proportionate man
ner in 1906 and 1908. There are a
few exceptions to this. such as tim
Der lands. which were raised in SC ne
cases in assessed valuation. Yet with
these reductions the total of the as
sessment roll has not been changed
materially. owing to the increase in
taxable properties, such as getting pat
ents on mining and timber claims.
improvements on mining properties
several concentrating mills.
Today if the tax payers of this
county will take the pains to examine
their tax receipts, they will find that
they are assessed for less amount
than they We're under the Democrat
ic administration.
The Democratic County Convention
passed the following resolutions: -
Resolved, That we condemn the Re-
publican administration Of county
finances in this county by F. a. Max
well and w. II. Jones, who, by an in
crease levy of three mills raising the
levy frotn seventeen to twenty mills,
required the people of this County to
pay $4,000 year more taxes during
each year for which they have levied
the county taxes than were paid at
the time that the Republican party
obtained control of said adminstra
ton
At the time that Messrs. Maxwell
and Jones assumed the duties of com
missioner there was an outstanding
Indebtedness against the county am
ounting to $4,000, all of which was
contracted and incurred by the Dem
ocratic board of County Commission
erS.
Instead of denouncing Maxwell and
Jones for paying this indebtedness. it
would have been more honest and SIN
O. if the . said Democratic conven-
ton had denounced the Democratic
board for running the County in debt
to the above amount.
On January the first 1898 when the
Democrats were elected Oh the board
there was cash on hand amounting to
$1905.5S On December 81. 1904 the
County was in debt to the extent Of
$4,000.
The above shows that the Democrat
ic board of County Commissioners
during the period of seven years ex-
pended over and above their receipts
the snm of SAL ,905. .5S.
Were it not for the fact that the
Democratic board had run the county
in debt to such a large amount it
would not have been necessary for
the tax payers to have paid. as the
Democrats allege the sum of $4,000
per year.
The fault does not lie with Messrs
Maxwell and Jones, but is to be
charged up to the extravaganza and
mismanagement of County affairs un-
dor and nv yirtue of Democratic rule
The present Republican board under
and by virtue OF the increased levy,
which became necessary on account
of the large Indebtedness contracted
md inclrred hx. the Democratic ad-