The evening herald. [volume] (Albuquerque, New Mexico) 1914-1922, 1914-07-30
TIM COUNTY TAX ROLLS.


would abolish the state board Of
equalization. Yet the state board 81
equalization seems 10 be about the
only official force in the state which
has taken any intelligent Interest In
the assessment Of property for taxa
ton. In order hat the state aud tho
counties therein mas have "a revenue
{" support the government.
The total assossed valuation OF tho
state Of New Mexico M brought In
by the county assessors. after pass
Ing through the hands Of the county
commissions, is S74,0OO.0 600.
The total assessed valuation Of the
state last ~ycar-aftor raises had been
made by the state board OF equaliza-
tion. was $40. zoe. 600. The county
taxing authorities, therefore. tell us
one u two things. Either there has
been a direct tangible shrinkago OF
100000 600 ln assessed valuations In
the several counties. or they, the
county taxing authorities. have not
done their duty. We DO not be-
ncyc. and we hold that mo- other in
t%.iligont man In New Mexico believes.
hat there has been "A hve-miIlion-
dollar shrinkago In the total value
Of property in this state during the
pnst twelve months. You can have
one guess az To- our conclusion.
The state board Of equalization has
increased the valuation placed upon
the property OF the railroads In New
Mexico by about $2,0O0.OOO. This is
absolutely the only material increase
hat has been made upon M inn
por,aut classification Of property.
dallroad values are the only ones
which the state board has power 10
fix. The state board. plainly, has
sought TO do its duty. II has been
partially effective; bu II has failed
completely To bring the county tax
ing authorities into n kin Of har-
monious cooperation with 1t in it's
efforts,
Nothing Is 20 be gained by scold-
ing the assessors. II Is said that
many nf tho assessors are more in
terostcd in securing the permanent
enlargement Of their salaries than
they are in getting property onto the
tax rolls. ThlH is probably true. But
il Is not tho fault OF the assessors
that our taxation system Is "a joke.
u ~ tho fault Of the system. . sys-
tenn al legalizcd tax lodging. estab-
lishcd and brought to a high stage OF
perfection by the interests which
have ruled this state FOR years past
through the willing machinery Of the
Republican organization.
Look at TIE Eddy county tax roll
e. which attention naturally Is
called, since Il Is the last Of the de-
iayod ones TO come la. That roll
places the actual value OF property
in Eddy county Al $4,000, O00. That
alone b. % ghnsly Joke. The county
proposes 90 pay \ upon $1,000
UeO. About one-half 81 the farm
crops raised In that county are en-
tlrely absent from the tax rolls.
Various classes OF personal property
subject Co taxation are not noted
There would DE some sense In
jumping on To Eddy countN's a \
ing officials II 81 were alone In ita
oar plight. But the Eddy county
roll la "a model If completeness COM
pared to several OF the others, and
aIl are mere travcstica upon a coun-
~ assessment. The fault is In tho
system.
There have been good Republicans
in legislatures In the past. men who
have striven honestly for taxation re-
form They have been hnpclcasly
powcrlcss asainst the Republican
machine. Doubtless there Will be
competent. honest men On the Re-
publican legislative ticket I'm many
Districts this year. But what good
will H. do the people 90 elect those
mcn2 They will be utterly Helpless
10 do anything, as againrt the ma
chine which would continue 60 rule
should "A majority Of Republican,
get into the assembly. The fault u
with the system. There can be M
ohanre IN the syaiem expected from
the men and the machine who mad'
a..
A new deal In legislators IL th'
only hope Of this state; ihe election
81 n solid Democratic house; com
posed OF free. un,rammelled met
who can go about the business o
remaining our taxation system unde
TERED BY a single obligation
string or boss,