The Delta independent. [volume] (Delta, Colo.) 1886-19??, 1916-04-07
CAPITOL CORRESPONDENCE.
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Denver. Colo, April 4, 1916.

Denver. Colo, April 4. 1916.
Several decisions of much more than
ordinary importance were handed
down by the supreme court yesterday.
One of them upheld the right of the
state board of equalization to place
the final value for the taxation pur-
poses on all the property of the state.
According to this decision county
assessors must obey the orders of the
state board of equalization and raise
according to the demands of that
board.
The case was brought before the
court by the refusal of Mr. Pitcher,
the assessor of Denver county, to add
55 million dollars to the valuation of
that county. The assessor claimed
that the order was arbitrary and I'M
just and made without any examina-
ton into actual conditions. He said
it was unfair in that the additional
burden would fall entirely on the small
taxpayer. as under the order that valu-
alton on corporation property and
stocks and bonds were allowed to
stand as originally appraised, and he
intimated that the raise was an attempt
of the commission, two. out of three
members of which, are from the coun-
try, to soak" Denver.
This district court, before whom the
case was first brought. decided in favor
of Mr.. Pitcher. The supreme court
in reversing them did not pass upon
the question as to whether the tax
commission had acted wisely or not,
but simply that they had acted within
their powers and that no one could re-
view their decision excepting the State
Board of Equalization, whose servants
the commission were. The Board Of
Equalization had approved of their &C
ton unanimously, and as Mr.. Stocker
and Mr.. Mulnix are on this board. and
both of them are residents of Denver.
1t certainly does not seem that they
would have approved of a measure that
was unfair to the city in which they
| lived.
The effect of this decision is to in
crease the amount the city and county
of Denver will pay to support the state
government by $116.356. bringing the
total paid by that city for this purpose
to the immense sum of $673.566.00
which is almost exactly one-third OF
the assessment against the entire state
on the steam railroads from which
Denver gets very little benefit. It
means that Denver will pay 40 per.
cent of the state taxes.
Another decision of general interest
was the one unfolding Secretary OF
State Ramer in his refusal to accept
petitions to the voters the change in
the civil service laws. made by the
last legislature. The court holds tina,
the legislature is the sole Judge Of
whether a law is for the immediate
preservation of the peace. health ant
safety of the people of the state. and
|
what is known as the safety clutch
referendum will not hold. As re
suit OF this decision the new civil ser
vice board appointed by the governor
some months ago. has its legality es
tablished, and the governor may now
go ahead and make such changes II
r the heads of the various department,
D OF the state as he desires. This de
: cision will at once settle the contro
( versy that has prevailed for some time
over the wardenship of the Reforma
7 tory. and the offices of Bank Commits
sioner. Boiler Inspector. and Division
Engineers. II also permits the govern
or to remove Mr.. lyman Of the peni
5 Tertiary. II he so desires.