Albuquerque morning journal. [volume] (Albuquerque, N.M.) 1903-1926, 1918-12-19
MEL TING Of CITY
OFFICIALS HERE
IS BIC SUCCESS
League of Municipalities Is
Formed Taxation Is Para
mount Question Considered
to Hold Session Today,

The meeting of the city officials
of New Mexico, which was held in
the Chamber of Commerce rooms yes
terday, resulted in the formation of a
League of Municipalities. There were
eleven cities, towns and villages rep
resented by about thirty delegates,
and the entire day was devoted to a
discussion of municipal problems,
most of which, however, were
centered around the question of tax
alton. II is expected that the newly
formed organization will have much
to do in the way Of obtaining relief
from some of the handicaps under
which municipalities are laboring at
the present time, and that remedial
laws will be passed at subsequent SEES
sions until nearly all if not all, of the
existing obnoxious statutes are repeal
ed and superseded by others which
will be more satisfactory TO all cities,
towns and villages.
Officers of the league were not
elected yesterday They will be chosen
this forenoon.
The meeting opened at 10 o'clock
yesterday morning. City Commission
err Wade, who was to have made the
address of welcome, was unable, on
account of sickness, to be present.
City Attorney Keleher called the con-
ference to order explained why Mr..
Wade was absent, read some sugges-
tons from the latter as to some i'm
portant points which he believed
should be discussed, and outlined the
order of business which, he suggested,
be followed The latter suggestion
was adopted
Commissioner Walter Connell was
elected temporary chairman and c.
w. G. Ward of Las Vegas, temporary
secretary.
Hebenstrcit on Taxation"
City Manager IIebenstreit of Albu-
querque, was the first speaker. His
subject was Taxation" dealing main
~ with problems confronting the
Duke City. but in a general way, of
course, applicable to all municipali-
ties. BY means of an elaborate set of
charts Mr.. Hebenstreit showed that
while the city pays IS per cent of all
taxes collected, it receives in return
only per cent for general purposes
/ and % per cent for schools, or a to-
talyof Al per cent,
f, o. Blood, mayor of Las Vegas,
followed Mr. Hebenstreit, reading a
well prepared paper on Civil Prob
lens This paper also dealt with
taxation problems and, in fact, sub
sequent talks followed the same line
to a great extent indicating that most
municipal troubles grow out of our
present tax laws. Las Vegas, like Al
huquerque, pays approximately $780,
! GOO in taxes each year, and receives
! in return less than one-fifth of that
| amount, ana is also required to pay
! the county $4,000 for collecting the
! taxes.
! w. A. Hawkins, general consul in
! New Mexico of the Il. T. & S. w. rail-
way, attended the afternoon session
/ and took prominent part in the dis
! cussion. He explained quite clearly
and lucidly Just what municipalities
can and cannot get under the consti-
! tuition. He opposed the proposition
| of repeating the present law and al
! lowing counties and municipalities to
make unlimited levies.
| Judge r. p. Barnes. member of
| the legislature, advised the conference
to name a committee to present in
! concrete form Just what they wanted
from the legislature and the reasons
for wanting them. He read the con-
stitutional limitations and said that in
affording any immediate relief the
/ legislature would have to be bound by
the constitution.
Tax Matters Discussed.
Practically the entire afternoon was
devoted to discussing taxation mat
tiers, and everybody seemed to recog-
nize that cities. towns and villages
Will have to have more leeway and
| that at least some of them will have
| to be relieved of the extra burdens
imposed by the counties outside of
| the cities. -
! Mayor u, 7. Davies of Santa Re,
who was to have spoken on Revenue
Problems of New Mexico Cities" and
A. T. Hannett. MAYOR of Gallup. who
was to have spoken on "A Code for
New Mexico Cities. Towns and Vii
! lagos We're not present and their
| places on the program were untitled.
| City Manager Jaffa of Roswell was
not present. but ]. NJ. Rose spoke for
him on City Managers Problems"
while, A. w. Hockenhull spoke on
Needs of d Growing City in place
of Mayor Lester Stone, who was un-
able to attend the meeting. LAS the
Editor Views the Municipality was
NJ. L. FoXs subject.
A committee on resolutions, COM
posed Of j. NJ. Rose of Roswell. J. G..
Osborn of Carlsbad, A. r. Heben-
STREET of Albuquerque, J. Baca of Mag
dalena and A. w, Hockenhull was
appointed yesterday afternoon. This
committee will be ready to report
when the meeting convenes at g
O'Clock this morning.
The visitors were entertained at the
Elks club last night, where a smoker
NIrrg Tiy I,y |, ait Nc