The evening herald. [volume] (Albuquerque, New Mexico) 1914-1922, 1915-03-26


M commission, With ite Hunted
powers. limited ~saiaries and
enormous responsibilities h strus-
sllns 60 brlnE order out o. chaos IN
Kew Mexlc6s t~axntion ana revenue
system. other tages much older in
thslr Independence. and with far
more srttled conditions. are having
the sams Kind Of troubles ana fight
ina cur the san,o aeht. In Iowa the
plan 81 separate sources 81 revenne
Tor state and county purposes h being
discussed. This plan has been pro-
posed a. the ultimate solution Of the
sreasest difficulties NOW encountered
In New Mexico. yet in Iowa the
proposal 10 beipa met with stsons OPP
position.
Two years q the general assem-
BY Of Iowd adoptedia resolution pro-
posing an amendmont ~ the consti-
tuition 10 change the method BY which
the state would receive revenue for
state purposes. Under the plan now
IN force, 2he state gets It's revenue
from e 9.e-tax min levied In each
county. This arrangement has been
productive Of much trouble With re-
gard 20 taxation. In each county the
valuation is kept down for fear that
county will pay mere than lis share
Of this little state tax. The resolu-
, tlon 70 bring about the chanse as
suggested BY the last legislature
/, reads:
| For the purpose u providing rev
! enue for State purposes. the general
assembly may provide for the excius-
i've taxation ~ such clasaes Of prop
! cfry as Il may deem proper. when
any class q property Is exclusively
taxed for STATE revenue purposes.
such class shall not be- otherwiac
taxed for general county, townshir
, % municipal purposes
ITO adopt such an amendment TO
/ the constitution. explains the com
sentative wallaoc's Farmer. which
favors the new system. 1T Is ncces-
, sary that u shall De acted upon Ia
! yorably By two succcsasve iegisia-
! lures. and then approved By the
+ people al q general election. II the
/, present legislature should act favor
ably upon This resolution. Sc would
then % 20 the people. Unfortunate
~ The house committee ON constltu-
tionnl nmcgdmcnts last week made
an ~unfavorable report on his rcso-
p luton The reason assigned by the
? daily papers for thh action was the
I fear that too much revenue wight bee
Z produced for the state. una this
might lead TO e~xtravaWancc. n would
= appear that the members Of the COM
{ mittee have not read the resolution
{ carefully. or that they lack conn-
denee IN the wisdom or judgment 81
LEGISLATURES which VIII follow them.
The resolution does not provide that
any special Glass 81 property snail
be thus taxed by the state That ia
; left % the legislature II II given en-
tire power in the matter.
I'VE trust that this resolution ull
Z be given further consideration and
thar O. may bee nried upon mvorably.
N the state SHOULD set DE- revenue by
direct taNatlon "a the way sugses.rd
the -.a-mm state tax would bc Done
away with and nc mattcfs of ,alua-
ton and lc,y would be ieN entirely
90 the dAtercnt counties 10 ho fixed
for each county as the residents Of
that comfy mlghl see ut and with
out regard 60 other counties 10 sccms
d most sensible change to make amt
would rcmcvc D To- OF our TAXATION
troubles. And 81 would almost q
tainls result la more equitable tasH
tion Of the public utlhich. from
which The state tax would be de-
Z rived.
1--WE confess see are entirely un-
able 10 nee a legicd GO reasonable ob-
lection which can boz ursod against
the chause. We trust that both
house and senhio win act myorabb
upon b., and inat 81 mas receive the
ratification II the people al me cleo
uon.