El Nuevo mexicano., 1919-05-01
N SHEEP
ASSESSMENT TINE
COSTS SAN JUAN
COUNTY S2l5OOO
LARGE NUMBERS or W0QLLlES
WILL BE BACK IN COLORADO
MAY FIRST AND ESCAPE A6-
SCISSOR; Big GAIN IN MElR-
cHANDISE SHOWN elsewhere

San Juan county with no report
made by Field Agent Reynolds on the
sheep industry, shows a gain OF $140,-
283 over the tax rolls for 1918, ac-
cording to the report which was filed
with the state tax commission today.
In other words the straight tax assess
ment plus the corporate property tax
last year amounted to 84,1lS.654 while
this year, as the Reynolds report In
dictates, 1t will be $4,25S,937.
This Is OF the surface a very salts
factory showing and were the condi-
lions identical as to the assessment ef
sheep, the smallest county In the state
In valuation would be certain to join
the other counties OF the state IN the
anticipated increase In property re-
turns, But II has remained for one
of the most bitterly contested pieces
of legislation which was put through
the last session to put a crimp in the
hopes OF the commission, as far as
San Juan county was concerned
This is the bill fought through the
house by r.. L. Baca, of Santa Fe
which sets forward the date Of the
assessment Of sheep from the 18th OF
March to the first day OF May. San
Juan county ist a winter range for
sheep. Virtually all the sheep which
Craze there are Colorado owned stock
and they are still in the county In the
middle of March. BY the first of May.
however. they have been moved north
into Colorado for the lambing season
and consequently are beyond the reach
the New Mexico assessor.
A year ago the sheep valuation
in San Juan county was $780,
SOB and the goat assessment was $16,-
SS2. None sof that s5S0,000 appears
in the Reynolds return for the reason
only on tomorrow will the assess
or of San Juan county or any other
New Mexico assessing agency be able
to touch them. Mr.. Reynolds reports
that practically all the sheep which
have grazed on New Mexico lanos
the winter are now back In
Colorado and he does not believe that
the assessor will be able to find more
than $75.000 from this source TO add
to the tex roll. The result Is, that
because of this change in the law.
The tax commission now. believes that
San Juan county this year will show
4 loss of at least $125,000 in its total
May Come out Even.
Aside from the removal OF sheep in
Colorado, and many OF them, too.
{ is said into Rio Arriba county,
which will get the benefit Of a con
;,deFahle valuation which San Juan
las heretofore had, there Is just n
adorable contingency. The rolls in
San Juan have not been kept up to
he handle since the county dropped
Jack into the fifth class, only paying
he assessor $500 per month and as a
iesult there has been a large percent
of double assessments on land,
duch of this appears in the credits
asst year and will not appear this year
lue to the thorough combing OF the
ituation made by the field agent. II
s barely possible In the opinion OF
thief Tax Commissioner Saint that
his may operate 10 offset the losseg
nd bring the county out about even.
Big Merchandise Raise.
Field Agent Molinari has been work
ng exclusively on merchandise in the
10 Grande and Pecos valleys and In
lace Of the estimated 100000 in
rease which had been counted upon,
is iuulcdteu idlSd ~ @lsOopstO1 IN Chat
lass of accounts alone. The follow
ng are the chief items of increase:
boswell. 100000: Carlsbad, 100000;
lows, 100000; Relen, 100000; Ca
St35. 900, and Socorro $4,000
This with the raises in Sandoyal
nd Sierra counties and allowing a
little loss in San Juan means tina.
q 600 200 of the hoped for $30.000,00C.
5 in siaht with 25 counties to hear
ON.