Santa Fe new Mexican. [volume] (Santa Fe, N.M.) 1898-1951, 1912-09-06
FURTHER SIDE LIGHTS ON
ROCKY MOUNTAIN PACIFIC
fine TAX DODG|NG SYSTEM
PAMPHLET BY RATION COMMERCIAL CLUB DRAGGING ABOUT WONDERFUL
RESOURCES OF THAT COUNTY AND FIGURES BY u S. GEOLOGICAL
SURVEY ARE COMPARED WITH ASSESSMENTS OF Big CORPORATIONS
HOW COMMON GEEzER GETS IT IN
THE NECK UNDER C0LFAX SYSTEM

{ it; the political manipulation at the
! top.
The following letter is for the in
formation of the tax payers and vot.
ers of New Mexico:
Ration, N. NJ, Sept. 4, 1912.
Editor New Mexican,
Santa Fe, n. NJ.
Dear Sir:
In your article on tax reform in
Oregon, which appeared recently in
the New Mexican, you say nothing OF
Vancouver in particular. 1t is report
ed, that in exempting labor products
from taxes, Vancouver had advanced
with such rapidity that laborers, me.
chanics, artisans of all branches have
left Seattle to such an alarming eN-
tent that their efforts to prevent the
loss from Seattle reached the limit
when the police arrested them as vag-
rants, which proved that they not only
dreamed, but had nightmare.
The enclosed is from ST. Louis and
explains itself:
/ find in late investigations that the
several corporations in ColfaX county
returned for assessment $SS6,3lG.96 for
the year 1912 The published reports
of one of these corporations show that
they control more than twelve thou
sand times as much wealth as all of
the county outside the Grand bound
aries and pay about per cent of the
taxes. The area of the Grant is about
three-fifths of the county. One cor
poration publishes in an annual report
for the year ending June 80, 1910,
total assets of $20,424,o41,4S. Add to
this 520,325 acres of the best coal,
timber and other mineral land This
same company is bonded to the
Metropolitan Trust company of New
York for $15,000,000 VASTLY less than
it's market value), as we'll as it's esti
mated value which is fixed at $685.
100000 The st. Louis, Rocky Noun
tain & Pacific company returned for
taxes in 912, S290,265, an exemption
of $34,709,735 from taxation.
The total assessed value of Colfax
county for 1912 is $5,224,675. This
amount was reduced by the county
commissioners las reported by the as
sessor) $S29670.00, the reduction
nearly all being taken from the large
With the increased levy |
necessary to raise the needed public
funds, this burden falls with increas
ing weight upon all properties of less
value.
If the reported returns of the Unit
ed States geological survey are to be
taken, these coal lands in ColfaX coun-
ty are worth the stupendous sum of
forty billion dollars, while the total
assessment for 1912, as before stated,
is $5.224,G15. Since the publication in
the Ration Reporter of August %, the
reduction made by the county COM
has been put back at the
request of parties representing the
If the smaller corpora
tions would insist upon fair assess.
rnent of the st. Louis, Rocky Noun
tain e. Pacific company they could re.
turn their property at fair valuation
and save money in their taxes, but as
It is now these smaller corporations
are driven to give low returns on
heir properties to protect themselves
rom the load dumped upon them by
he Maxwell Land Grant company and
he above named railway company
If there is state In the union in
which a re-adjustment of taxes is
more needed than in New Mexico, it
would be interesting to know which it
vas The necessary fund for main
aiming the schools in Colfax county is
'eported as being short between six
md seven thousand dollars, which
will mean a short school term. Is any .
itizen interested in the education Of
ur youth? If not, it seems that they
would naturally take to the African
ungles, where education would more
harmonic with their ideas
If civilization.
(Signed)