Albuquerque morning journal. [volume] (Albuquerque, N.M.) 1903-1926, 1919-01-31
NEUTRALITY-SUSPICIOUS. 81. 1919
TANES FOR NEW AIEXICO.

The budget system adopted at the
last meeting of the legislature is prov
ing a very valuable method of what
state financing is necessary 1t is
already manifest that the require
ments of the state, even when all pos
siole reductions are made, still leave
much money to be raised that the
present scheme of taxes will not coy
or. Either necessary expenditures by
the state must be curtailcd OF add
tional revenues must be secured
our present plan of tuxaton fairly
covers the state, and wrE me needs
of the state increasing hcyoul me IN
crease of taxable property, the ques-
ton arises: Is there some other way
of adding Justly to our present tA>os?
First of ALL one of the large assets
to the state are the mineral deposits
They are now being taxed. AS indus
try develops they Will produce add
tional taxable incomes.
Secondly, additional value will be
made by reason Of the Application of
water to arid lands This will be "A
gradual and substantial increase in
the future.
Thirdly, the twilight zone of So
called dry farming; this at times will
increase, and then suffer "a relapse.
Fourthly, the increase which may
come from adjustment under the new
conditions of the ranges; that is,
through better practices of pasturage
and supplementary feeding.
These are the four primary sources
of taxation now, and whatever in
crease there may he in the value Of
these will afford increased taxes in
the future. These prtmery sources
show the distribution of their produe-
ton in the existence ana operation
of banks, merchandising. raachunics,
railroads, etc.
While these properties are under
about all the taxation they viii bear,
in New Mexico there are q great nGln-
Der of people who earn, because ofI
these primary industries, very cnnsid-
cradle salaries and who do not invest
in homes or properties, and hence es-
cape taxation.
There are plenty OF people IN ,he
state who have had from sI2cn to
$4,000 a year for years as THEN in
come; their children have been eCitl-
Gated in our schools, hey have btenI
protected ~ state police power. and
yet they have never paid auN Trims for
these advantages and privileges. The
fault has not been with them forI
they are patriotic and would readily
have borne their share in the educa-
ton of their own children ana IN the
protection of their oW1 safety in mel
state.
Again there are people who come
to live in our state. who enjoy the adj
Vantagcs We have, whose children at
tend our schools, and who have an
income from elsewhere, but not in
such form as to be represented on any
tax roll in this state. Therefore, the
only class OF people in the state who
are not now bearing their full share
OF taxation are those represented in
these lists; and we should have AN in
come tax, graduated from $1,000 a
year salary upward, 50 that the per-
sons who have otherwise escaped our
present plan of taxation should be
given the privilege of paying their
share.
The state could readily secure from
100000 to $500 600 a year from this
source, and there would be no add-
tional burden laid upon those who
have borne the whole expense, w to
this time.
Then, again, there is over two mil
lion dollars of delinquent taxes in the
state 1t is self-evident that state
that is unable to collect its own taxes
lacks one of the primary character
isucs OF success. And until the law
of this state-which is adequate-is
enforced by those who have been
elected to responsible offices, and the
delinquents are made to pay their
taxes, we must feel that the state isl
not making good at sovereignty.
To tax citizens and then let the m |
disregard the tax law and east their
burdens on their neighbors, is wrong
from every possible viewpoint There |
is no excuse for it, This should At
once be corrected.
An income tax should produce half ,
a million or more. and there should
be two million dollars OF delinquent /
taxes collected. When this is done
the whole problem will be solved. the !
necessities Of the stat, and its prog,