The Greeley tribune., 1911-03-16

, chants and factories by raising taxes
on railroads.
The Greeley and Eaton sugar fac
tories commenced sugar making in
1901 and a few years later the New
Windsor factory was opened for
business. In that time about forty
million pounds OF sugar have been
made, yet not cent has 1t paid in
taxes. Every April, or before May
/. when taxes are listed, the yearly
output OF these factories has been in
transit, or in Denver. Think of that
farmers and merchants. The Gree
lev factory is located just outside
the city's boundary. consequently
does not pay taxes to Greeley; and
by these tricks 1t does not pay a cent
to the county on its manufactured
product. Has Mr.. Fischer or any of
his republican predecessors ever
tried to circumvent the dodgers?
Would 1t not be a good plan to keep
tab on these tax lodging shipments
and notify the Denver assessor-or
would that do any good? A man or
company that does not pay his, or
it's, fair share of taxes to support
local government is not entitled to
protection in case Of fire or riot.
Assessor Fischer said that when
he attended the state meeting of as
SCISSORS at Denver in May, 1909, to
confer with the state board of equali-
cation, he voted for 40 per cent
assessed valuation. as against 33
1-3 per cent valuation. The roll call
Of counties was in alphabetical order
and he knew the 33 1-3 proposition
had won before 1t reached him.
Think of a business man playing
horse" in a meeting that signified so
much. He also told that when he
and Assessors Smith and Foster
went over the railroad assessments
made by the republican board of
equalization in 1908 he was thund-
erstruck at the figures-$12.S43,53O
placed on the Denver & Rio
Grande road; and that Auditor Stat
ler was mainly responsible for those
figures. But he did not tell that he
was not only thunderstruck, but
chagrined at the amount. for 1t set
a precedent and under that prece-
dent the Atchison, Topeka & Santa
Fe road was subject to a tilt" In
taxes. Why the A. T. & S. F.? Ask
Mr. Fischer. / base my belief on re-
ports quite common in the state
house at Denver and from the fact
that Weld County Assessor Fischer is
hand in glove with w. r. Freeman
OF Denver. tax agent for the A. T. &
8. F.. road. It's nice thing to be
the guest of a dear friend when you
go to the capitol city and be the
recipient of lunches, dinners, go to
ball games. public resorts. take auto
trips, go to theatres, etc. A thinner
skinned man, as county assessor,
would be careful not to put himself
under too many obligations to a cor
poration representative. Further
along in his talk Mr.. Fischer said, as
stated in the Tribune:
Told of the difficulty experienced
by one man in keeping in touch with
the ever changing values of prop
erty brought about by constantly
changing conditions. He cited two
instances OF where kicks had been
made on property that had sold at
ten times. approximately. its asses
sed value. Lack of needed data, he
declared. made uniform assessments
extremely difficult, but that his Of
fee stood for square deal for all
and stood ready to rectify any er-
rors that might have been made"
Can any business man be so i'm
posed on, or SO ignorant of realty
values as to assess property at one
tenth of it's value? Does any busi-
ness man in Greeley or Weld county
know OF such Jumps" in property
the past two years in Weld county?
II Mr.. Fischer lacks needed data
to aid him in placing values on prop
erty why don't he consult real es-
tate agent or a builder? Then he
will be little, II any, out of the way.
But II he does not wish to go to that
trouble let him use little COM
mon business sense and place a
good valuation on property to be as
sessed-as MIR. Kenehan advised
him-then the burden of proof as to
its real assessable value is ON the
owner; and let him perjure himself
to the limit, IL he will.
But anyone who doubts that Mr.
Fischer is ignorant of assessed valu-
ations. or that he is partial in busi-
ness transactions, can readily be
shown" by looking through the tax
books In the county treasurer's Of