Semi-weekly herald., 1908-10-26

your actions that you will stop send
ing money to 1t. In other words fore,
up on them the reciprocity program
We will cut down our proportion I,
the state until the state gives u.
something In return.
What does this mean to you as tar
payers? 1t means this and only this,
That the ranchman and the fruit rails
er is paying taxes on land in thi.
county on an assessed valuation O,
s22 per acre; In Montrose county or
S14.01 per acre; in Mesa county
tGrand Junction) on s15.75 per acre;
in Delta county on $14.64 per acre
in Conejos county on IS per acre:
In ouray county on $l0.24 per acre
Yet land in Mesa and Montrose coun.
ties sells for three and four times as
much as you can get for yours.
How do you like this comparison OF
values? Your land will not bring you,
If you wish to sell It, anywhere near
as much as the land In Mesa and Mont.
rose county and yet you are assessed
higher per acre for it. Do you now
see why your alfalfa does not net
you as much money per ton: why ap-
pies and other frnits costs you more
to raise?
Cattle in Montrose county are as
sessed at ss.3s per head; in Mesa
county at $500 per head; in Delta
county at $S.67 per head; in Conejos
county at $7.95 per head: in ouray
county at sS.O7 per head. but in La
Plata county you are assessed at $11.16
per head and you pay taxes on them
on this valuation.
Are you not, good taxpayers, suf-
ficiently handicapped by your high
freight rates or must you be further
handicapped by high valuations and
exorbitant tax rates. which send the
money to Denver instead Of keeping
1t at home.
Coston tells the farmer, the cattle.
man, the mechanic and the laboring
man that he is their friend. We have
shown in the above that he is not the
friend of the taxpayer. Let us have
heart to heart talk and see II he is
the friend OF any one but Coston.
Let us again suppose that your as
sessed valuation and taxes are on
30 per cent basis instead of so per
cent and that instead of paying the
state S20,S20 each year. that you would
have said to your county commits
sioners we are only paying the state
$10,410 and therefore Increase our
road and bridge tax 2 mills. Do you
know what 1t would have meant to
you? 1t would have given you $5,2O5
each year or In four years $2O,S2O to
build new bridges and culverts and to
fix up your roads. Coston and the
Democratic party sent 1t to tho state
from whom 1t never came back. No,
not one single penny. He and they
robbed you as taxpayers and citizens
of your good roads. BY this time your
roads would have been among the
levy could now be cut and you would
reap the benefit In dollars and cents
Is this his friendship? Then may God
protect us from our friends.
But this is not all. Had this money
been retained at home and not sent
to Denver, 1t would have given EN-.
ployment to many laboring men. The
and making good roads would have
received mis- pay from the money sent
to Denver. He In his turn would have
spent 1t with the merchant in buying
provisions and produce and meat and
dry goods and clothing. The merchant
would have to buy more produce from
the ranchman; he would have to have
additional clerks to attend to the
work, the cattleman would sell more
cattle and sheep. Every one would
have been benefited and La Plata
county would have been more pros
porous.
Coston tells you that the smelter
is an issue. Concede for the sake Of
the argument that 1t is. But he only
drags in the smelter to cover up these
other things. He blinds you tempo
rarily to your true interests. but he
cannot do 1t always. You will see
some day that he Is dangerous man
from your standpoint because he is
taking your money, in taxes. from
you and sending 1t away when 1t
should be kept at home for your own
use and own benefit.
You see, this high valuation and
high tax is greater even than the
smelter case for 1t affects every tax
payer In the county. But he does not
want you to know about 1t and 30
each year he hollers louder and louder,
"Smelter." He tells you confidential
ly that the board of county commits
sioners are to blame. They are not
and never have been In any way. shape
OF manner. It is the Democratic party
and Coston. By nominating him again
and again they have put their seal of
approval on his every act.
He is paid $500 per year as as
SCISSOR or an average OF 5000 per
month the three months 1t requires
to do the work He gets his office
rent free for the La Plata County
Abstracts of Title company, his fuel,
his lights and his janitor work free
and this amounts TO between $3.50 and
$500 per year. You give him this
but he is a generous fellow and 30
he sends on to Denver for you $1O.S2o
of YOUR hard earned money and this
he does yearly. Do you want him
during the next two years to send 321.-
GAO more?