Santa Fe new Mexican. [volume] (Santa Fe, N.M.) 1898-1951, 1912-10-02
PRIMER LESSONS ON
A TAXATION SYSTEM.

is and can be, no greater necessi
for information on any subject
New Mexico today, than upon tax
ton. Especially is this true amor
those people who but recently ha>
come into New Mexico and who al
struggling to get foothold here bl
who are dismayed at the great bon'
ed debt, the high rate of taxation an
their inability to return their prope
ty for taxation at an honest vaIu;
tion and still make both ends NEE
And they can not do it unless rad
cal but just change Is made. Wit
! the st. Louis, Rocky Mountain an
Pacific setting the pace by payin
taxes on only one-seventeth OF a
| admitted valuation of $2O,OOO,OOC
that concern which is all that is Ief
OF the republican party through tn
medium of Springer, Spiess, Val
Houten, ct al, is playing both end
against the middle and the little fel
low has absolutely no show. But it |.
not the purpose of these articles t.
deal with the political side of tn.
question, only when it is necessary te
show up the system which is seeking
to throttle New Mexico and which
will by its methods If permitted te
pursue them, corrupt our citizenship
to its foundation. 1t is the under
ground government of New Mexico
the silent, unseen, crooked govern
ment of New Mexico working by de-
vious routes to achieve it's ends solely
for it's own advantage. Let US today
ask ourselves in New Mexico, do we
want more merchants, more manufac.
turers, more farmers, more Workmen,
more homes, more schools, better
roads, cheaper living and a living
wage? Of course we do. Any state
that seeks to grow and to prosper
must have those things. How then
are we going to get them? Can we
look to Springer Spess-Van Houten
and their coal camps and company
stores to bring them to US? We can
not. They have no interest in such
things. The corporation which they
serve deals entirely with profits and
those profits are contingent upon
bottIing up our natural resources for
the benefit of eastern capital and in
beating the tax game. If we want to
develop our state and our people, why
longer support or tolerate a system
that acts as an obstacle to their com.
ing to New Mexico. Why not, on the
other hand lend them every encour.
agement to come by a taxation sys.
tenn which will bring them to US.
Poll, road, merchant, manufacturer
auto, bond and countless other tax
assessments unfairly distributed
amongst the tax payers do not encour
age people to come and settle here.
The present outrageous tax rate, due
absolutely to the system of Springer
Van Houten, Spiess, ct al, does not
encourage the brainy businessman
nor the wise farmer, to come here to
settle and to expand business. Other
states, having met with the same old
system, have found it dead wrong
and by modern legislation and mod
ern methods, they have done away
with it and put out Of politics the
kind of men responsible for it. And
now they are reaping the profits of
their wise acts where we, still CROP
ing bIindIy, are working to no pur-
pose. Why spend money to advertise
the resources of New Mexico and in.
vite immigration to our state while
at the same time maintaining a tax
scheme whereby that immigration
can not survive. Do we want more
population in New Mexico? More
population means more buildings,
more industry, more farming, more
for idle men and women,
more everything. 1t means less va.
can't land, more money in county and
state treasury, more homes, bigger
and better schools, good roads,-it
means prosperity. But what future
nave we to contemplate, when our
GOAL and timber lands are held by a
from without our state
'eld to await the slow process of in.
;rement which the man who tolls
he Iaborer, trainmen, doctor, lawyer
lin fact all Of US-produce for that
corporation which is now and has al.
Ways striven by unfair and dishonest
methods to avoid its fair share of the
BURDENS of taxation. II a tax on dogs
ends to check their increase by max
ng them more costly to own-doesn't
tax on machinery, business, building
Material, homes, and men, tend to
lave the same effect upon US. A tax I
IN building material makes it more I
ostly for US to build a home. It
makes it more costly for US to rent |
home, hence it forces US bye and
ye to live in lesser space, in one, two
r three rooms. Worked to it's logical
onclusion, 1t is the forerunner of the
enement and all that the tenement
1eans. The Springer-van Houten-
piess combine and the old repubii.
an machine, are the men who would
asten upon this state, the TENE-
TENT standard of living. Do WE
'ant it or do WE want the AMERI.
AN standard Of living in this great,
new state of New Mexico?
is strictly up to US-we the people
New Mexico. Are WE going to
ave it?
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