The Eureka sentinel. [volume] (Eureka, Nev.) 1902-current, 1914-07-25

According to newspaper reports
and the statements of people who
were present, the recent convention
of catttlemen at Elko seemed to be
more tinged with politics than with
subjects Of an industrial nature.
Nearly all of the speakers jumped
into politics. charging gross extrav-
agance on the part of State and coun-
ty government and more or less con-
demned the commissions which have
been created by the last two or three
Legislatures, The Tax Commission
in particular was singled out, and as
many bald statements were made
that it was controlled more b ypreju-
dice than fairness, the matter was
called to the attention of the commits
sion, and at the suggestion of the
Carson Appeal Emmett Boyle, one of
the members, has furnished this pa
per with the following article, which
is cheerfully printed, as it casts light
on many subjects which have hereto
fore been misunderstood or miscon-
strued:
John G. Taylor, reputed to be the
wealthiest land owner and livestock
grower in Nevada, appears to be the
leading spirit in the organized move
ment which has for it's end the abol-
ition of the Tax Commission. Among
his active co-workers along this line
is his business associate, w. c. Pitt
of Lovelock, who has been held up
enticingly by those newspapers which
he personally owns or controls, as a
likely candidate for Governor.
In a recent address before the Ne
vada Cattle Owners Association in
Elko, Mr.. Taylor is reported as hav-
ing urged the election of business
men and taxpayers to the Legislature
and the cooperation of the land and
livestock owners in a movement to
reduce 1.-THE burden of taxation on
these interests. To this end he APP
peals to the taxpayers of the State
and SHES his sombrero into the ring
as a champion of the peoples rights.
He is a reformer devoid of a sense of
humor. In 1912-prior to the crea-
ton of the Tax Commission-the cat
tlemen of the State returned for tax
alton ITO, 2O4 head of cattle which
were assessed for $3,016, 1856. o at an
average value of $17.62 per head.
The actual number of cattle in the
State at this period was, according
to the statistical publication of the
United States Department of Agri-
culture AL PAT head and their aver
age value was S35, excluding the
value of beef cattle fattened for
market. The burden of taxes" of
which Mr.. Taylor complains fell,
therefore on 40 per cent of the prop
erty of the livestock owner and this
40 per cent was assessed at half its
value. This industry paid on a 20
per cent assessment while the major
ity of the people in the State were
assessed at from 80 to 800 per cent
of the real value of their holdings,
the average being perhaps so per
cent.
Messrs. Pitt and Taylor own many
hundred acres of cultivated land in
Lovelock valley, which. on the aver
age could not be bought for 500 per
acre, with select pieces running as
high as 5000. In 1912 this land was
assessed at not over 500 per acre, or
somewhere between 10 and 20 per
cent of what it was worth.
The Tax Commission can be reason
ably expected to assess these hold
ings fairly as other property is as
sessed and as in the case of those
other arms of the government which
in the exercise of their powers must
run afoul of the extensive Pitt Taylor
interests, it can be just as readily
assumed that these gentlemen will
vigorously oppose it-possibly on the
grounds of economy which is not
so inconsistent after all as the aboli-
ton of the Tax Commission would
doubtless prove decidedly economical
from the Pitt Taylor standpoint.
Once possessed of the facts and
figures it seems incredible that any
considerable number of taxpayers
II Ill. l-~. Al,