Arizona republican., 1913-03-03
TAX COMMISSION SENDS
 ANSWER 10 PRESCOTT
Recent Resolution of the Mile Hiqh Chamber of Commerce Provokes
 Reply

 ago received q communication from the Prescott Chamber Of Commerce, to the effect that at an executive meeting of that organization the mat ter Of the full valuation of property and the making of fixed valuations for certain classes of property were discussed The result of that meet ing was reduced to a resolution which 1 was transmitted to the tax commis- sion. In reply to that communication 1 the tax commission on Saturday caus- ed the following letter to be trans mitted to the chamber of commerce ! of the Mile High City.
 March l. 1913. To w. A Drake and MalcOm A Fra 1
 ger. President and Secretary, Pres |
 cott Chamber of Commerce, Pres 1 colt, Arizona
 Gentlemen-This commission is just in receipt of your favor dated Feb ruary 24, 1913. in which you inform us that at an "eXecutiVe" meeting of the board of directors of your cham Der you Resolve that the Prescott Chamber of Commerce goes on record as being opposed to the fixing of arbitrary standards of valuation of property for assessment purposes by the State Tax commission.
 In reply to your communication we desire to state that the commission always appreciates honest, criticism of any of its Offocial acts, but in this case We feel that had you been fully advised with reference to our action, it would not have been neces- sary for you to have held the "eX- ecutive" meeting, or at least for this purpose.
 In the first place, no arbitrary standards of valuation" have ever been fixed by this commission, nor has any rule or method formerly adopted and used by the Arizona As sessOrs association for the past three years been digressed from in the slightest particular. Three years ago, Governor Sloan and Territorial Au- ditor Mauk, noting the great discrep ancies in value of similar property in the several counties called d meet ing of all county assessors in order to form an effective organization and generally to agree among themselves along lines of proper valuation and methods of assessment, to the end | that all property should bear it's just and equitable share of the burdens of taxation Among the first acts of | this organiza ton was the classifica- 1 tion of live stock and the agreement 1 that none would assess any live stock i covered by these classificatiOns at 1 less that certain minimums agreed upon for the current years valuation. ! As the price of live stock varied, certain of these minimums were changed from year to year up to 1 and including the meeting at Yuma, l January 18th, this year. At this meeting practically the 1912 minimums of valuation on live stock were adopt ed. presumably on the suppositiOn that property would be valued as in past years at 30 per cent of it's ac- tual value
 Shortly thereafter the State Tax | Commission decided that the law cal ling for a full cash value should be l enforced and so instructed the as sessors. Several of the different cOun- ty assessors at once wrote the com mission requesting it to fix the mini nuns on live stock, stating that il they were not fixed they would use
 those agreed upon at the Yuma meet
 ing which were fixed on a basis of | a 50 per cent assessment This would
 obviously work d great injustice or
 property other than live stock anG
 the commission issued an order. no,
 to assess at any arbitrary value. but l setting up certain minmumS such as
 it believed to be just and equitable
 Subsequent to this date several hear ings were held with taxpayers anC
 the order was slightly modified anC
 now meets the entire approval O both the commission and the Asses
 sors' association.
 In the latter part of your resOlu 3 tion we are pleased to note that yOl : recommend "the assessment of al ? property within the state according r to it's actual value" This is certainl! 3 gratifying to the commission, and es V pecially so, when it notes on you s Ietterhead that you have as member D of your Board of Directors represen e l tatives of properties of enormous val 2 ue who have not in the past been il d entire accord with these sentiments. O Respectfully yours,
 STATE TAX COMMISSION, :, JESSE T. BOYCE,
 Df