Santa Fe new Mexican. [volume] (Santa Fe, N.M.) 1898-1951, 1908-01-16
BOARD MAKES
BUT FEW RAISES
Assessment Values Remain About the
Same as Las Year-lncrease in
Railroad Taxation.

The Territorial Board of Equaliza.
tlon which was In session three DAYS
this week and finally adjourned yes.
terday afternoon made but few chang.
es in the assessed valuation Of tax.
able property in New Mexico. The
FL Paso and Southwestern Railway
Will be subject to taxation this yeal
for the first time, and with the addi-
tlonal taxes from this source and the
increases made on other railroad
property it Is estimated there will be
a gain in the railroad item of about
s2,50O,0O
One hundred and sixty miles OF
main line of the Southern Pacific
Railway was fixed at a valuation OF
$500 per mile, this being an increase
per mile over last year of $500. In.
cluding machine shops, storehouses,
and other taxable property the as.
sessment of this road for the present
year will be at the rate of $4,000 per
mile
In the assessment Of the Atchison,
Topeka and Santa Fe Railway north
OF Albuquerque increases were made,
also in real estate, railroad shops,
etc. which will bring the assessed
valuation on the mileage to about
$4,000 per mile.
Additions were made to last years
assessment value of the branch line
of the Santa Fe railway in Luna, and
Grant county. Three hundred and
fifty miles of the Ell Paso and South
western lines were ordered assessed
at $500 per mile and the county au.
thorities were directed to assess de-
pot grounds. machine shops and store
houses which will raise the valuation
per mile OF that road to about $1,000.
The lands of the Santa Fe Pacific
railway in Bernalillo, Valencia and
Mckinley counties were assessed at
50 cents per acre. This is a raise of
5 cents per acre. The lands owned
by the Santa Fe system in Roosevelt
county, being partly agricultural,
were ordered assessed at $125 per
acre. These items will increase the
taxable valuation of railroad property
OF all kinds for the present year about
s2,50O.000 over the year 1907.
The board made no change in
the assessment values on live stock.
The rates this year will be the same
as last year and this was owing to
the statements that the outlook for
the live stock owners including the
sheep raisers and cattle growers was
not as promising as ii was at this
time year ago, and that many inter.
ested in these industries had suffered
considerably during the past few
months.
The valuation of agricultural, graz
ing and mineral lands remains prac.
tically the same. All agricultural
lands under cultivation under what is
known as the Campbell dry culture
system wer ordered assessed at 81
per acre and up, according to loca
ton and quality of the soil.
The members Of the board were
earnest and diligent but evidently
exhibited no desire to make increas-
es although some strong pressure was
| brought to bear in that direction. I'm
der the statutes the board has not as
much power to fix rates as it ought
to have and can only fix valuations
on certain kinds of taxable property
The statutes it is urged should be SO
amended as to give the board dis
! tinct power over all tax matters and
/ to dictate valuations on all classes
Of property with no appeal from its
decisions.
The board has no control over tax
alton matters concerning the Santa
Fe Pacific railway running from Al
buquerque to the Arizona line, AS this
road is chartered by the United
States and the rate Of taxation is fixed
by Congress. The members of the
board are of the opinion that the fed
eral statutes should be so amended
as to vest in the board the power OF
fixing the valuations of the lines OF
| this road in the territory and adopted
a resolution calling on Delegate w
)H. Andrews to have such an amend
iment to the existing statute passed
| If possible.