The Kenna record. (Kenna, Roosevelt County, N.M.) 190?-1924, 1916-11-03

| latiYe boSB-the man who has been
able to get the legislation he has
wanted Back in 1903 he had the no
torious Hawkins bill passed twice, the
last time over the veto Of Governor
M. A. Otero, the present candidate
for state auditor on the Democratic
ticket.
In passing the Springer Hawkins
corporation benefitting tax legislation
Mr. Bursum was only running true to
form. And the invisible government,
which regards him as safe" man
to have in the executive office at San
ia re, is now working desperately for
his election.
Springer and Hawkins framed New
MeXico's tax legislation in the interest
of the corporations. In the interest of
the corporations Bursum put it
through.
Remember that, Mr. Taxpayer, when
you go to the polls to vote November
18th.
Work Of Tax Commission.
A state tax commission appointed
by the Democratic executive, with a
majority of its members Democrats,
took hold of the Bursum tax law and
n
adequate power and without adequate
funds, this Democratic commission ex-
hausted its ingenuity in faithful eff
fort to distribute the burden of taxa
ton equally and place omitted prop
erty on the rolls But despite the
fact that the commission raised the to-
tai taxable valuation from 1871 ,902,-
119 in 1914 to $3O5, 710,502 in 1915 and
to $314,041 ,270 in 1916, the Bursum
law proved inadequate to produce the
revenue necessary to cover the appro-
priat;ons made by Mr. Bursum's Leg
islature, and the deficit of the present
fiscal year is over $4,000. No state
salaries have been paid since Aug 81
and none will be paid until January
State institutions are short on the
year more than $4,000
The Bursum tax law was never
meant to work effectively. 1t was
never meant to permit a just equaliza-
ton of taxes
When inequalities in taxation come
to your notice. Mr. Taxpayer. just re-
call the corporation connections of the
men who framed the bill
What Democrats Have Accomplished.
In connection with the work of pro-
viding revenue for the state, it is in
! teresting to note what has been ac-
complished under the Democratic
state administration in the last five
years. In view of the legislative han
dicaps existing, the showing is little
short of marvellous.
| When the Democratic state board
of equalization took charge of tax
matters in 1912 the total valuation of
the state was $64, 506,56O, of which the
corporate property amounted to only
| $173s2 681 In 1914, the last year of
the bJard of equalization, the total
valuation was $271 ,902,119, of which
| $94,554 1853 was corporate property.
The increase in corporate property
amounted to 443. per. cent. and in 9th
er property to 276 per cent.
In 1915, under the Democratic state
tax convention, all corporate property
on tae rolls amounted to $113,812, 1896,
| an 9kcrease of 20 per cent. over 1914,
and all other property to 5000 1856, 453,
an increase of 81 per cent The total
increase in corporate property. under
| Democratic administration, in the last
five years, has been 554 per, cent, and
of all other property, 1923 per cent.
The Mine ak Law.
Besides framing the Bursum tax
law, Messrs. Springer and Hawkins
magnanimously framed what is known
as the Springer-Hawkins mine tax law.
And Mr.. Bursum, just as magnani-
mously, secured its passage.
This law imposes a tax on the net
| product of coal and metal mines, after
various deductions are made. The es-
sential difference between a corpora
| ton operating under this law and a
| farmer operating under the Bursum
law is this: If the corporation doesn't
produce anything it pays nothing on
| Its productive mineral land; whereas
| the farmer, in the event drouth or hail
| makes his farm non-productive, pays
on the value of his property just the
| same.
working o. the law is found in the
case of Mr.. Springer's St Louis,
Rocky Mountain & Pacific Company.
As stated, this company is capitalized
at $40, ,0OO it has a bond Issue OF
| $780, 900, and in 1915 reported assets
OF $l9,0OO,000 in round figures G1S,-
s7L56D. That year its total taxable
valuation was $2,S43,OO2. of which
$721,950 was net product. In other
| words, Mr.. Springer's concern paid
taxes on less than one-sixth OF the
valuation IL voluntarily reported to
the publishers of financial manuals.
But the farmer, whose valuation
| wouldn't tluctuate with the produc-
| tiveness or on-prOductiveness of his
farm, probably paid on the fun value
Of his property. 1t wasn't the farm
er's representative who framed the
| tax legislation
BurEum's Tax Record.
| The Bursum tax law contains no
| provision relating to the collection of
taxes after they are assessed
In view of Mr. Bursums tax rec
| ord In Socorro county. where he lives,
this might be considered extremely
| significant.
Here is Tax Reformer Bursum s
tax record during the last ten years
On Sept ember Z. 1915, the Socorro
county tax rolls showed Mr. Bursum S
taxpaying record for ten years as fol-
| lows:
Year 1905-Name could not be found
on rolls: might be assessed
| Year 1906-Same
Year 1907-TaNes to the amount of
$722.01 assessed In Precinct l due and
unpaid on the roll.
Year 19OS-Taxes to the amount OF
$715.1S assessed In Precinct / due and
unpaid on the roll
Year 19O9-TaXes to the amount OF
$74237 assessed In Precinct / due and