The evening herald. [volume] (Albuquerque, New Mexico) 1914-1922, 1915-03-05


siblc. and tho arm OF the people isn't
long enough or strong enough 20
reach IL except boy the enactment oi [,
tax laws In spite of is Influence.
opposed 10 this measure BE- the |
so-callcd Rursum bill. introduced in ]
the house by Martinez ana Trujllo' /
and closely lssociatcd with the so 4
called Hawkins mining tax bill, in-
troduced In the house by the sam"
gentlemen. The Bursum oill pro-
,ides with great detail for the seiec-
ton Of i've tax commissioners no two
of whom shall come from the same
judicial district. who likewise shall
be appointed by the governor, and
serve for two years. They are To re-
ceiyc ten dollars per day ANA all thcir
expenses; but they are not to serve
the people for To- exceed 80 days out
uf any one year and their sessions
shall not exceed ten days in dura-
tiou. In other words. they can meet
nt best, nine times. for tcn-day per
iods. and have three montns vacation.
They have no plcnary power that
amounts To- anything and exercise
practically the same functions that
used Co bc exercised by the old terri
tnrial board OF tax commissioners un-
der which aIl our present abuses de-
vciopcd and nourishcd. II 10 was
possible boz the old days for Unequal
! tiles to exist, IL win hc equally in
| cvituhlc that they will continue to
exist under tnis kind of % bill. The
| tnN commission created hy the con
| stitutlou. made up "f certain of the
state officials who urc Jt least at
] santa Fc all the time, IL given one
| thoroughly capable chief clerk and
! two or three assistants, and clothed
with little bit ui power for iuvosii-
gstiun. would have been more effect
i've than this scheme Working ten
days al q clip and uoing necessarily
distributed throughout tho state. thcy
WIN rarely, if ever rot tt inequalities.
either iu the disclosure uf properly
ur In valuation, unless the matters
lnrc brought specifically Go their at
trutiuu hy usscssors who desire their
counsel or seek their protection The
bin contains another most oNtraordi-
nary provision. Au uf the counties
are required tu cuuso 90 be- collected
and covered into the state treasury
not less than so per cent of tho taxes
levied Tor state purposes therein; and
II any county fnils tn pay 81 per cent
Of the taxes loVicd for state purposes
then a special state deficiency tax b
tu be- levied the succeeding year upoi
the property uf that county To make
up for this deficit In other wurd
the fellows who pas 50 pet cent o
less nf the taxes this year Will h'
. called upon next year To- make goo'
the ,fiCivuCy which their ncighhnr
have Imposed upon their county; an
suspect that NJ th" old territnri"
prcccdcnts are CO. hc pursued s'il
further. about once % dcrHd" the leg
islaturc will bc called upon tu pas
an act &" permit the tax dodgers %
. those counties tu compromise thci
, taxes ut so cents coz oven 20 cents Z"
" the dollar. if they win uc 80 graci"u
as tu make the payments There
uo difficulty iu making the acquainl
ancc uf men in the city oi santa j
today who for tho past tweniN-lN
years have from time to time con
=, promised their taxes which were ION
in arrears. Tho counties IN Whicl
unfortunately. the pr.T'r pay the
' taxes. Will continue tu carry an ut
" due portion ~ the cNp"i scs oi il
state government. ana uu really pr
= dent county viii pay more than
70 per cent of its levy
m "Thc bin is udroilIy drawn, and B
\, phrascology as well ns common u
n port shows the handiworK Of VI
,n Hawkins, the author of the llaWkii
No mining tax hill above mentioned.
=. MIR Hawkins is man of ra
lc personal charm and great plausih
I- ity He is the attorney OF Il
A. Phelps Dodsc interests, und, assnt
nc ink az the basis uf his argument th
,c mines of any character have nn Nal
mr. for purposes ut taxation which 81
o. bee determined hr reasonable m
~, until their hidden riches have be
hc revealed by pluCipg them on the S
nd face aud reducing them tu posscssi'
ut he proceeds with his argument
r- these Legislators that taxes ought 0
,is Co bo levied op the gross Nhiue
nj this output. hut only upon the
of value Of the same, and nis bin pl
IN Nidcs that the net value shall hc
en- termined los deduction from the sr
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