Albuquerque morning journal. [volume] (Albuquerque, N.M.) 1903-1926, 1919-11-12
IMPORTANCE OF
RAIL WAY TAXES
UNDERESTIMkTED
Transportation Lines Bear
About 0ne-Third Of Tax
Burdens Of State; Schools
Benefit From the Revenue,
sv NesslSa JOURNAL SPECIAL LEASED WA


Santa Fe, Nov. 11.-How would
New Mexico secure revenue to keep
schools, public institutions, roads and
general municipal and state govern
ment up to the present degree of eff
ficiency and continue advancement f
the government should, under the
Plumb bill or any other, buy the
railways, removing them from the
tax roofs, all federal property being
exempt from taxation under the con-
stitution of the United States?
Taxpayers and citizens who enjoy
the blessings which local government
supplies and maintains should weigh
the facts and forecast the result to
their pocketbooks, and upon the pub
lie welfare.
After noting the railway proportion
of funds for general state purposes,
readers should pay especial attention
to the figures given below revealing
the bankruptcy of sample school
districts where railway payments are
almost the only means for keeping
schools going and the assessed valu-
alton of railway property all that
enables districts to sell bonds for
erection of buildings.
The significance of the revenue
derived for state, county and other
political subdivisions was recently
pointed out in the Journal by publ
cation of figures showing that the
valuation of railroad property for
taxation amounted to 26.4 per cent Of
the assessable property of the state.
In some of the counties the proper
ton of railroad property to the total
valuation was shown to be as higd
as so per cent and even higher.
Through later and more complete
returns from the counties to the
state, still more striking ere certain
compilations made showing compare
sens of taxes actually paid by trans
Eortation lines in New Mexico with
the total taxes charged. The i'm
portance of railroad taxes is further
emphasized when the comparison IS
made on the basis of taxes actually
paid.
The total of taxes due for 1918 was
$6,4763200.32 on state, county, mun1e-
ipal and school district levies, not in
Guiding taxes on special classes Oh
property. On the basis of So per cent
tax collections as shown by last re-
ports, the amount actually paid was
approximately $5,700,0O0
IOf this amount the Santa Fe rail-
road paid $936,907 or very nearly
one-siXth, while its valuation is over
one seventh of the total valuation OF
the state. On the basis of actual tax
paid, this road pays 16 2-3 per cent
of the taxes actually collected.
Seven railroad companies pay a
total of S1.492,122, fully rs per cent
of total payments. 1t is estimated
that complete figures will show that
transportation lines carry nearly one
third of the tax burden of the state.
school District Payments.
Selecting one of certain counties
for which complete figures are avail
able, some interesting facts are found
In that county, where there is only
one railroad system, the valuation of
the line constitutes 43 per cent of the
total valuation. 1t pays approximate
" the same percentage of general
property taxes charged. However
this county collects only SIS per cent
of assessed taxes, and on the basis of
actual collections the railroad pays
Al per cent of all the taxes collected.
1t pays over SO per cent of the taxes
collected for state and county pur-
poses and in certain school districts
it pays still higher ratio. For in
stance, in one school district $1.2S2.7O
was levied, of which the railroad paid
was levied, the railroad paying 49,
O5212. OF course, there are certain
districts in which the railroad pays
in less proportion. and there are other
districts through which the road does
not run.
Taking the districts having railroad
property together. the total taxes
charged on special levies amount to
s1S,761.97, of which the railroad pays
$S,417.07.
If the IS per cent collection esti-
mate applies to these districts, the
road pays over SO per cent of the
total OF the $4,000 levied for coun-
ty and county high school mainten-
ance, the railroad paid over $50, 900,
which was nearly half of the amount
actually collected for this purpose.
Pays Much for High School.
In another county. where the rail-
road valuation constitutes practically