The evening current., 1917-09-05
SOME PERTINENT
OBSERVATIONS.
By j. II. McCutcheon.

Is going to get inquisitive and with
n reason. The recent action Of the
state tax commission In raising the
rate Of valuations on grazing lands
needs explaining. It Is understood, OF
course that the gentlemen holding Of
fees want the money, but why soak
an acre OF grazing land in the new
county Of Lea $500 an acre, and let
an acre Of Mckinley county grazing
land go In at $1.s0. There are some
men over here just mean enough to
intimate that the Santa Fe railroad
company has a very large acreage in
Mckinley county, which IL is holding
for better market, and the brother
o fthe general attorney for the Santa
Fe Is president Of the state tax COM
mission.
The legislators Of both state and
nation have long recognized the fact
that land in the western part Of the
state was worth more than land in
the eastern part because Of its addi-
tional advantages for watcr-worth
more for al purposes but taxation
and the gift Of lands to the state was
with the understanding that the wes-
tern lands could not be sold for less
than five dollars an acre. while the
lands in the eastern half went for
three dollars an acre. For the pur-
pose OF taxation, however, Mckinley
county land is worth $3.50; Valencia
county land, where the Santa Fe also
has n large acreage, worth $500, and
Lea county grazing land Is worth
$500.
Some years ago. the Santa Fe, in
view of the fact that it could secure
valuable timber lands and splendid
homestead land in the western part Of
the state, let the government take
back its acreage in eastern New Mex
leo and give the railroad company in
lieu thereof an equal number Of more
valuable acres in the western part Of
the state. Now, for the purposes Of
taxation, this FIVE dollar land is
worth several times more than the
three dollar land. And others, also
showing meanncss Of disposition,
call attention to the fact that the
attorney general did not volunteer an
! opinion to the effect that the law,
which let Mckinley and Valencia
county lands on so chcar'y, was ur-
constitutional.
There is something of dark color
in the state wood pile used by the
tax commission, Is the opinion Of
number Of observing gentlemen, and
the voter. to be safe. might get his
little political gun resi, but he must
provide himself with bullets capable
Of doing the work regardless Of the
political complexion Of the dark gen.
tlcman In the wood pile.
And the mine taxes seem to interest
the gentlemen in need Of more salary
money, also. According to the state
ments Of men in authority the min
ing industry of New Mexico will soon
be tied up in wad, with some Of the
big companies able to operate and the
little men unable to turn wheel
without contributing more than they
can make out Of the development Of
the surface ores to the state in taxes.
This war and high prices for metals
will not last forever, and when the
slump comes the mines of New Mex
leo will be doing business on a very
close margin, IL the proposed tax re-
quirements are put into effect.
The refusal Of the Secretary Of War
to provide for a separate regimen,
Of Spanish Americans Is Of little real
interest here, as II was looked upon
as an effort upon the part OF Lindsey
to square himself with the Spanish
American voters Of the party, snt