The Keota news., 1914-10-16

which mas lnCTeaSeu tuSH "a OuA
dens and lightened them on the
railroads. A gentleman from Ohio.
a director in sCme of the ia ored
corporations ard also a large land
owner. a man whose interests were
about balanced as between lan1 and
corporation stock, told me in Ohio
the big corporations paid on about 90
to 1919 Of what they are worth, an"
that land, ever since they have had
the blessing of q Tax Commission.
has paid on from 100 to 150fo OF
what ii Is worth. AS a result the
big corporations are paying less tax
es in the state and the people more
Why is this? Do you think the rail
roads and other big corporations OF
:he state of Ohio were getting the
worst of it, in spite OF their army
OF attorneys and trained tax aEen s?
Is this because the big corporations
were paying more than their share
before Ohio established its Tax Com
mission? No Who ever heard OF
railroad paying an unjust tax? 1t is
because the railroads have foa nd
ou. by recent experience what oar
forefathers knew when they es abb
lished this republic. that It Is easier
TO appeal to the sympathy or handle
three men than 1t is to handle one
hundred.
The first year the Colorado Tax.
pie, which was last year, the Unicn
pacific Railroad paid $500 less tax
es to the State than they did the
year before and nearly $4,000 less In
Weld County, and this in spite OF
ne fact that Weld County raised
fer its schools and good roads alone
some $60,O more money than the
year before.
At the National Tax Association
convention last week. ! met q tax
expert from Nebraska. He asked
y hat the U. P. was assessed for in
cur Srate,and l told him about $4O,-
90 per mile. He answered-"You
must be afraid of railroads up here.
u. p. at $105.OOO per mile and oar
best lands about $50 per acre.,
do not believe that railroads should
ay on a higher valuation than the
leople, but there is nothing fair In
accepting the railroad on basis OF
6N% income and then turning to
ne farmer and the business man and
saying, I'VE will not allow you to
.onsiCer income. but will assess yod
on the basis of transfer values.
Government statistics show that IN
come values Of farms are $50 OF
what they are valued at. Hence the
reason why states that base land on
the income value have lower yalu-
alton on land then We have. and
hence also the reason why railroads.
when they can have their way. will
;rn in their schedule based on In
come value and will insist that the
farmer shall turn in his schedule
based, not on his income. but upon
transfer value. It gives the ra 'lroad
a tremendous advantage which the
scLle would not stand for II they
were wise to 1t.
So much in favor Of safe. sane
and just assessment. Now as to equal
ization in this state. Weld County
can stand for wild eating in valua-
tons II other counties can, provided
all are treated alike. But we are not.
and the best way to make this entire
" clear to even the ordinary reader
who spends a little time studying
ak matters, is to compare the ab-
stracts OF Weld and Larimer Coun-
ties, two adjoining agricultural coun-
ties, largely irrigated by the same
river l challenge any able, honest
man who will carefully study these
two abstracts and carefully no.e an
alysis below it which l draw from
it, to say that the Tax Commission
mas been fair in ordering $13.390. 800
raise on Weld and only $1,943, 300 on
Larimer. l recommend to the Board