The evening herald. [volume] (Albuquerque, New Mexico) 1914-1922, 1915-12-30
LEAGUE
or TAXPAYERS
SAVES 100000
Fat sam Saved Common PeO-
pie Through Activities Of
New Mexico League in Sc
curing Lower Levies.

eanta Re, n. n, Dec. so.-wlth the
opsEing Of the new year, four months
after ~ organization, and icsr shan
sixty days after Il began active work,
the ~TAxreycfs' Association Of New
Mexico han % its credit a saving 20 the
iaSQaytfs of the state OF approximately
600 900. This, IN round numbers l. the
total Of reductions In the 1915 tax
l~esies. affected By Direefor A. r. James.
Of the association, working IN co-opcFa.
tion With eounty taxing ufficinis and
the stale tax commission. The savings
effected are jn almost every county IN
the state. and The actual money saving,
In the adjustment ~ the lcyics and
holding them down 10 tae legal limitR
tiona fixed by chapter "a Of the laws Of
1915, the new general tax %stntutc, prob
ably IL secondary in Importance 70 the
elimink zion Of illegal ieyies, uniformity
ana strict regularity secured through the
active cooperation Of she director Of
the Taxpayers' association with the tax.
ing Officials Of tho various souuties.
A meeting II the executivc board OF
the Taxpayer association wa held nt
Albuquerque on October IL. Al this
meeting NJ. James vas elected director,
the executive position Of the a~ssocia.
tion. AZ the same meeting Governor
McDonaid sent n Telegram 90 every
board Of county commissioners In the
state. asking that they submit their
leYies 10 the secretary Of the state tax
commission before finally certifying
them. IN order that they might be passed
upon as 20 regularity, and conformity
with the provisions Of the new tax laws.
This invitation was FOR the specific pur
peee Of giving the counties the benefit
81 the expert knowledge Of the tax A.
soeiatien : director, and the readiness
Of che counties 70 cooperate with both
state officials and the Taxpayers asso.
citation, was shown at once by the
prompt Submission Of almost every
county levy
The necessity Of some such expert as
sistnnce was shown immediately by the
fact that only two out Of the twenty
six county tax ievies were not in VIC.
lAtipa Of some provisions Of chapter "a,
the new tax law, OF Of the county unit
school tax law. or both. These two
counties we're Ckav1s and Colfax. The
most puzziing features for the county
commissioners had been what was the
exact meaning Of the SCI increase per
miffed under the new tax law. over the
revenue prcduced from taxes in the
year previous End the requirement OF
chapter 81, lDws % 1916, that tax levies
heretofore authorized by law shall be
proporticnntely reduced 20 bring the
total tax levy within the limits therein
provided. These and certain p~erplexing
features Of the county unit school tax
law were given most careful analysis
by Mr.. James. Secretary Ernest Of the
state tax commission aud the Attorney
General, whose opinion was made the
basis upon which every county In the
state finally Was certified. Practically
every county lax levy submitted was
returned for correction; and the re-
Spouse 20 the suggestions Of the tax ex.
pert and the tax commission y secretary
was ready and willing in almost every
instance.
81 have never seen a more thorough.
going spirit Of cordial cooperation in
meeting a serious problem, = said Mr..
James In discussing this work today, .
than was given by the county commits
sioners and other taxing officials Of the
various counties, In the tedious and
often very difficult work Of re.adjust-
ing these icvies 20 meet local conditions
and needs and ss the same time stay
within the provisions Of the new tax
law. Al were very ready 20 consider
necessities and readiust the levies q
keep within the law"
II l. tho fact that the law has beer
strictly observed in practically every
county; and that regularity and uni,
fcrmity ANve been secured that Mr.
James regards a. more important IS
p~eciaily IN ifs future influence, than the
actual saving Of around 100000 which
directly and indirectly was brought
nbort In the several counties. Fifteen
% the twenty-ssx counties in their ori
Qinnily submitted leyies, were above th,
So increase ,as interpreted by tho at
t0rney generals opinion. There wal
almost total lack Of uniformity In in
depreciation Of the new tax laws, anc
but for the help offered at the righi
time, the confusion might have resulted