Semi-weekly herald., 1916-04-10
CAPITOL CORRESPONDENTS

Denver, April 4.-Several decis-
ions of much more than ordinary
Importance We're 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 purposes
on all the property of the state. Ac-
cording to this decision county assess
ors must obey the orders Of the state
board of equalization and raise or de-
crease the valuation of property ac-
cording to the demands of the board.
The case was brought before the
court by the refusal of Mr.. Pitcher,
the assessor of Denver county, to
add 30 million dollars to the valua-
ton of that county. The assessor
claimed that the order was arbitrary
and unjust and made without any ex-
animation into actual conditions. He
said 1t was unfair in that the addi-
tional burden would fall entirely up
on the small taxpayers, as under the
order, the valuation on corporation
property and stocks and bonds were
allowed to stand as originally apprais-
ed, and he intimated that the raise
was an attempt of the commission,
two out of three members of which
are from the country, to soak"
Denver.
The district court, before whom the
case was first brought, decided in fa-
vor 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 act
ed within their powers and that no
one could review their decision ex-
cepting the state board of equaliza-
ton, whose servants the commission
were. The board of equalization had
approved of their action unanimously,
and as Mr.. Stocker and Mr.. Mulnix
are on this board, and both of them
are residents of Denver, it certainly
does not seem that they would have
approved of n measure that was un-
fair to the city in which they lived.
The effect of this decision is to in
crease the amount the city and coun-
ty of Denver will pay to support the
state government by $116,356, bring
ing the total paid by the city for this
purpose to the immense sum of $685.
566, which is almost exactly one
third of the assessment against the
entire state. Or. if you eliminate the
taxes assessed 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 inter
est was the one upholding the sec
retary of state in his refusal to ac-
cept petitions referring to the voters
the change in the civil service laws
made by the last Legislature. The
court holds that the Legislature is the |
sole judge of whether the law is for
the immediate p ,servation of the
peace, health and safety of the peo-
pie of the state, and when it so holds |
and attaches to bill what is known
as the safety cluch" referendum
will not hold. AS result of this |
decision, the new civil service board
appointed by the governor some few
months ago. has its legality estab-
lished, and the governor may now go
ahead and make such changes in the
heads of the various departments of
the state as he desires. This decis-
ion will at once settle the contro-
versy that has prevailed for some
time over the wardenship CT the re
formatory, and the offices of bank
commissioner, boiler inspector and
division engineers. 1t also permits |
the governor to remove Mr.. lyman
from the wardenship of the peniten-
tiary if he so desires.