The Salt Lake herald-Republican. [volume] (Salt Lake City, Utah) 1909-1918, 1909-10-04
To Tax Service Corporations.

Under this scheme all public service cor
porations will be taxed by the state. and
from these alone viii the state obtain it,
revenue This will include steam and
electric railroads. telephone and telegraph
companies, electric light and gas com
panies, no matter if they cater to GUS
toners in only one county. Under the
present system the state fixes the Valua-
ton for public service companies which
90 business in more than one county, but
has no control in matters where a public
service corporation keeps within the boun-
dairy of only one county.
The taking of railroads and other public
service companies from the counties
would, of course, work a change in many
instances, especially in Box Elder and
Davis counties, but conditions could be
adjusted in these counties, it is claimed
by more equitable assessed valuation of
the property In the counties the per-
sonal and real property will be taxed, I'M
der the proposed change, and with the
state tax off the hands of the taxpayers
there will be little fight against the
change, it is believed.
For instance: In Salt Lake county the
assessed valuation Of the railroad and
street railway companies is approximately
S5,VOc0. 1t is from this amount that
the state derives it's revenue, taken to-
geIner with money from other counties
In salt Lake the assessed valuation of
property of all kinds is about S54, 100000.
In taking the public service companies
away, then, the city would lose about 10
per cent of its taxable property. But with
the state getting its revenue from this
source-and not troubling the city or
county pTOperty-the state tax of s mills
would be lifted There is now a tax for
all purposes in Salt Lake CITY of 80 mills
In taking this S mills off a burden of
nearly . per cent would be raised So
that, liz comparing the loss of 10 per cent
IN taxable property and gaining through
the tightening of the burden by % per
W -
This is the claim of the men who have
given the matter close attention, and who
declare that something must be done to
change the present taxation laws of the
state.
To Protect Taxpayers.
The counties, left upon their own re-
sources, would necessarily have to change
their system. There would of necessity,
it is claimed, be an increase in the valua-
ton OF property, with a corresponding de-
crease in the mill tax. And even in leav-
ing the assessed valuations at the Tidicu-
lousy low figures now shown on the
books Of the counties and state. the
revenues would be greater under the
change than at present. with the public
service companies donating to the cOun-
ties, it is held.
Before this step is taken. however. a
general revision in the taxation laws are
necessary, II is pointed out, to keep cities
or counties from showing crushing bur
ueLS upon the taxpayers. Under the pro-
posed system the state would travel alone
and the counties alone, each taking care
of itself But, unless held down by state
laws fixing a limit 10 the amount of taxa
ton, some administration might burden
the taxpayers so heavily that they would
cry out for help. OF course the help
would come in a change in the admins
tratiOn, but for two years. at least. they
would have to stand the burden as best
they could.
In the complete revision-which, it is
declared, must COme-a discussion of the
changes runs off into thousands of small
all looking to better conditions.
1t is the plan of Governor Spry to have
the whole matteT-Or, at least, a beginning
along the right Incorporated for the next
legislature, and during the interim to
gather statistics and information from
other states along the same line. 1t is a
problem which has stirred men of means
IN all parts of the nation and has aroused !
men of Utah to action. In placing Mr. /
Thomas on the subcommittee of seven it |
was apparent that the conference recog-
lized the Importance of some action from
Utah, and the coming Importance of this |
state among those of the nation; hence
much attention will be paid to the changes /
effected here.