The Columbus courier. [volume] (Columbus, Luna County, N.M.) 1911-1920, 1917-01-12

whether or not our constitution
should be so amended as forever
TO prohibit the sale of intoxicat-
ing liquors within the limits Of
the state.
Federal Aid Road Act
The last session Of the con-
gress of the United States pass
ed an act known as The Federal
Aid Road Act" By this statute
congress appropriated a large
sum Of money to be used TO aid
in the construction Of roads in
the several states, extending ov-
or a period of five years; said
appropriation TO be apportioned
among the states in the manner
provided in the act. There is a
further provision that the feder-
al government shall pay only so
per cent of the cost of construc-
tion Of any highway and that a
state wishing TO obtain the bene-
fits Of the act shall contribute
the other 80 per cent of the con-
struction.
The state engineer estimates
that the amount of money this
state will receive under the pro-
visions Of this act during the
five year period, 10 be the sum
of S1,l7O.OOO.OO. IL will, there
fore, be necessary for US to pro-
vide a like sum of Sl,i70,000.00
during the next five years. II we
wish 10 secure the benefits Of
this act. There is a further pro-
vision in that law requiring the
governor 10 accept the provis-
ions of the act on behalf Of the
state until the meeting of the
first state legislature after the
passage of the act, when said
legislative assembly. before It's
adjournment. shall accept the
prov. ons OF the statute on be-
half lf tho state. such accept
anCe has been made by the gov
ernor on baHalf of our state.
recommend the passage of a law
by YOU accepting the provisions
Of this Federal Aid Road Act,
and urCyidinR wavs and means
for the r'ising Of the necessary
funds on the part Of the state "a
comply with the provisions OF
the federal statute.
Finances
ann advised that the tax laws
passed bv the last legislative as
sembly have not produced sufli-
cicnt revenue 20 pay the rum
ming expenses of the state. and
the appropriations made by that
body; that there is at present a
deficit In the finances of the state
amounting tu approximately
SllG.uno.UO. This will make Il
nCccs say'y 90 still further in
crease the revenue of the state,
! believe that by the exercise of
strict economy, and by providing
the state tax commission with
increased powers and an appro-
priation sufficiently large To en-.
able il 10 get on the tax rolls the
large amount of property now
escaping taxation, the necessary
revenues can be obtained with,
out increasing the limit to the
levies set by the present law.
Mine Tax Law
The present mine tax law i.
unfair and unjust TO the Other
tax payers of the state. Tn,
mines pay taxes upon the ne'
value of their output, or in othei
words they are taxed upon theil
= net income. The merchant anC
? farmer are not taxed by thii
standard. Ii they were, they
would pay very little taxes il
many cases.
AGAIN, a company or lndlNld
ual may own thousands of acre
, Of mineral lands and actually op
p crate only fifty or one hundre,
p acres. The land not producing
/ is not taxed, although very val
. liable as mineral land.
p Either productive mines an
} mineral lands should all be take
! at their actual value, like othe
. property, or If a tax is levied o
e their output it should be on IN
70 gross value of the output.
= limit should also be placed upo
= the amount of land contiguou
j to an operated mine that is nc
o TO be taxed.
e Taxation
Y On. tax laws are further d,
J. fective in not providing bett,
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