Deseret evening news. [volume] (Great Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1867-1920, 1908-10-27
AMENDMENTS TO
CONSTITUTION
---------- -
Three Are to Be Voted Upon at
The Coming EIec-
ton.
OPPOSITION 10 ONE LIKELY
May Come from Mine Owners ana
Operators and Deals With AS
scssmcnt Of Properties.

Three amendments to the consti-
ton OF the state OF Utah are to be
voted upon by the people at this
election. At least one OF them is
llkelN to have opposition from some
niine owners and operators. and sup
port IRON other classes of citizens. 1t
calls for the assessment OF the value
OF mines and mining property by the
state board of equalization, instead
OF by county assessors. The amend
ment was planned by the last legisa-
lure and passed by 1t because of re-
sentiment TO the fact that the county
assessors seem to be blind, or halt OF.
incompetent when it came to assessing
inns class of property, and for some
reason the state was failing to get
expected revenue from this source. As
the legislature was anxious to in
crease the states revenue by increas-
ing the tax zone to include many or
CARNATIONS heretofore overlooked, it
devised this plan, and submitted il
in proper resolution.
The amendment. II passed is count
ed on to have the effect Of increasing
the states revenue. 1t is No. l. and
first on the voting machine.
Amendment No also deals with
state taxes. and raises the figure at
which the rateNof taxation must be
lowered to a given amount, lower
than now. prevails.
The constitution at present provides
In the article sought to be amended
that whenever the taxable property
within the state shall amount to
h $1,000, 900 the rate of taxation shall
not exceed five mills on each dollar OF
valuations"
Until that sum is reached the rate
of eight mills is allowed. What is now
sought is to raise the $200,0 900, 600 pro-
vision to 0,000,000. AS the pro-
,t,,, .,I, n
600 within short time, this increase
Eof wealth would be public calamity to
the states revenue as it would thus
automatically lower the rate and de-
crease the revenues when they are
considered to be badly in need of in
creaslng to care for state problems
now demanding attention. such as the
building of state highways. erecting
a capitol building and supplying sim
liar needs. gfj5
PECULIAR PROBLEM.
The third question recalls peculiar
problem the last state legislature had
to meet. The makers of the state
constitution evidently considered that
the state had all the land it was
was divided into counties. and there
fore it vested In the legislature a
right to change these county boun-,
daries with the consent of the voters.
But 1t did not allow the making of
new counties out of new land. And
new land came to the state in the
opening OF the Uintah reservation. A
sUintah lands were apportioned to
several existing counties and some Of
these didn't like it. New communities
on the old reservation tract meant a
shifting Of the centers Of population
and old communities We're disturbed.
Wasatch county, for instance. was.
threatened that II some of the new
reservation towns weren't given about
every office at the hands of the party
conventions, they would organize
local party, and through newly ac-s
CURED numerical strength, sweep the
county The old Wasatch settlements
want the new Uintah settlements to
enjoy a county government of their
own
The legislature was powerless to
grant that wish. and as consequence
amendment number three was pro-
posed to be voted on at this election.
IT is not likely to have any oppos-
tion.