Semi-weekly herald., 1913-02-17
MILLIONS LOST IN
TAXES, is CHARGE

Denver News
Representative A. P. Ardourel of
Boulder county declared yesterday
that assessors of the state are respon.
sible for the depletion of the state
treasury. He said he would rise in
the house tomorrow to denounce these
officials, charging that they let mil
lions that should be taxed slip through
their fingers. Ardourel intends to
urge immediate consideration of the
bill creating the Colorado tax commits
sion. .l.
Ardourel basis his charges of in
efficiency and favoritism on the last
| report of the state auditor.
"A reading of the figures will show
where the assessors pass up Millions"
he declared,
~ will tell the house of the thou
sands in, personal property that is
never taxed. will tell of the jewelry
that is not listed, and while am in
favor of the strictest economy in the
administration of state affairs, / do
not believe that we can vote to cur
tail the poor, the blind, insane and
unfortunate, when the taxes should
bring enough to pay the expenses of
the administration many times over"
Ardourel pointed to the fact that the
total number of clocks and watches in
Custer county, according to the as
sessossor's report, is eight.
Take jewelry, diamonds and silver
ware" he declared, there is none ac-
cording to the report. Do you mean
to tell me that there is not a watch,
a diamond or piece of jewelry in
this county? None is listed. Did the
assessor do his duty?"
Ardourel declared that in Adams
county only 110 watches are carried
according to the report, which says
there is only $2,100 worth of jewelry
in the county.
Baca county reports only SIS worth
of jewels and precious stones. This
is the basis of one-third valuation
Ardourel shows where the assessor of
Costilla county found no jewelry. He
says it is preposterous to think of such
condition.
Other counties he names that have
no jewelry are: Ebert, Gilpin, Gum
nison, jackson, Lincoln, Logan, Mof-
fat, Montezuma, Routt, Saguache,
Sedgwick and Washington.
The Boulder representative points
to the number of clocks listed by the
various assessors. Cheyenne county
has only eighty-seven clocks listed;
Custer, eight; Delta, eighty-thre Do
lores, forty-two; Gilpin, ninety-seven;
Grand, eighty-one; Gunnison, forty;
Hinsdale, forty-six; Jackson, forty
six; Lake, seventy-four; Mineral, with
just six watches and clocks; Moffat,
seventeen; Montezuma, forty; Ouray
thirty-four; San Juan, where every
miner has a valuable watch, only lists
eighteen, Ardourel points out. Sedg-
wick has only twenty-seven; Summit
has not a one on the tax list; Teller
only eighty and Weld only 1875.
Ardourel showed where there was
not one dollar on deposit with the
banks of the city and county of Pue-
bio, according to the assessor, and
only about $2l 900 worth of jewelry
in the county, all told. IL know one
man in Pueblo who has this much in
jewelry," he declared
Only 1926, ,120 is taxed on deposit in
the banks of Ell Paso county. Ar
dourel pointed to this as a glaring
example of why the state cannot be
placed on a paying basis.
Turning to the report from Denver,
Ardourel showed where there was not
a library in the city and county listed
as taxed ''Does the assessor mean
to maintain that there is not law
library in the city and county of Dem
ver?" the representative asked.
| Ardourel declared not cent was
supposed to be deposited in Denver
banks, according to the assessors re-
port for 1911 and 1912. He says there
is at least $50 ,OO0,O 900 on deposit here
all the time. The report shows only
about 5000, 900 worth of jewelry in
Denver. Ardourel declares he knew
Of three who have that much jewelry.