Albuquerque morning journal. [volume] (Albuquerque, N.M.) 1903-1926, 1919-02-05
JOURNAL PLAN To
TAX |NCOM ES IS
Be INC DISCUSSED
At STATE CAPITAL
Editorials Which Point Out a
Way to Raise More Money
in New Mexico Are Attract
ing Much Attention.
MANY VOTERS ESCAPE
TAXATION AT PRESENT
Small Fraction Of the People,
and the Big Corporations,
Pay Bulk of the Taxes Un-
der Present System,

ESPECIAL coHRrsrosoeHoG 10 MORNING JovSHH.
| Santa Fe, Feb. 4,--The Albuquerque
/ Journal editorials on taxation are be-
ing widely and vehomently discussed
on the streets, in clubs and legislative
| halls. Why are taxes hurdenSome, II
is asked, when the aggregate of all cX-
| penSes of the state, county, municipal
and school governments. including
road construction, cost of state insti-
tutions, salaries public schools, good
roads is $4,000 600 a year. a sum
equivalent only to the amount spent
each year on automobile upkeep and
gasoline alone? Why should the
maintenance of a few state institu-
tions be such a burden when the peo-
pie of the state spend more in ad-
missions to motion picture shows than
they do upon all of their state insti-
tutions? One-third of the $4,000, 900
collected in taxes is paid by railroad
and other public utility corporations,
| another third comes from the big
| landed mining, stock interests and
fees and interest, only the remain
| ing third comes out of the ordinary
businessman, real estate owner and
small stockman,
Many Pay No Taxes.
One answer is that the larger num-
ber of voters pay no direct taxes at
all. The attitude toward taxes is un-
fortunately such that many a man Is
willing to spill his blood on the altar
of patriotism 8 ui@gsive his life for his
country. but he'll be damned if he will
pay any taxes for the upkeep of
schools, the building of roads, the pro
lection of property and for admins
tration of the very blessings of life
liberty and happiness for which he is
willing to sacrifice his life. Under
ordinary circumstances any able
bodied man with red blood in his
arteries would resent being classed
with paupers, but when it comes to
exemption from taxes. strange to say,
more than one-half of the voters in
the state hide behind the 5000 eXemp-
ton law; leaving it to a small frac-
ton and the big corporations to pay
all the taxes.
Answer of Ono Citizen.
Another answer is made by citi-
zen as follows: "Eor twenty years |
have paid my taxes regularly; have
never been delinquent; have never ap-
pealed although | know | was taxed
out of proportion to my holdings /
own my home. it is true, and have
worked hard to improve It, but ii Is
mortgaged to the hilt. I have an
other house in my name but 1t too is
mortgaged to the limit. / have had
an interest in an industrial plant in
New Mexico. but it was purchased
with borrowed money. so that if l
were to sell out today, / wouldn't be
worth a penny. Yet, in twenty years
] have paid without grumbling
$4,59S.00 in taxes in New Mexico.
Because of the poor school facilities,
and a poorly equipped state univer-
sity, | sent my children to California
and elsewhere for their education !
have spent my vacations in states
which had good enough roads for au-
tomobile outings. My family loves
New Mexico with a passion that
comes only to people who live in such
glorious climes and under such bril-
liant skies, but our guests often tell
us to our keen humiliation what they
enjoy in their home states on consid-
erably lower taxes. My neighbor has
100000 on first mortgages paying
him anywhere from six to twelve per
cent He doesn't pay cent of taxes
on those mortgages. or on his income
and threatens to invest his money
elsewhere if mortgages are ever taxed
He also has in Ell Paso banks $780,
100000 and more in seven and eight
per cent mortgage notes on which he
doesn't pay a cent of taxes His an
nual income is as big as that of the
president of the United States, yet
he doesn't pay as much to the state
as l do. Then there is neighbor on
the other side. who gets bigger
salary than J. who has no children to
raise or educate, who contributes
nothing to church. chamber of COM
merce, war drives or charity. He
doesn't bother about owning a home
or paying a cent Of taxes. Now do
you see why taxes are burdensome
upon a few people? And yet, gladly
pay my share although it would come
easier if taxes were collected monthly
like rents instead of mi-annually,
and in that there might be a, hint to
lawmakers"
Income Tax One solution.
Naturally, no one especially likes to
spend taxes, but at the same time
everyone fayOrs good roads, fine
schools, adequate protection of lifel
and property democratic government
(Which costs money! and would like
to have the state provide for the blind
the deaf, the insane, the neglected, the
pauper the detectives and to fur
nish the people with everything that
people in much richer and more
densely populated states enjoy. The
statesmen with shriveled souls and
narrow vision seek short-lived acclaim
by crying economy but that doesn't
provide needed revenues or lift tax
burdens that are unequally distrbu-
ted. The income tax would be one
solution for the inequalities in the tax
bills of the three men mentioned
above. The repeal of the 5000 exemp-
tion would lift every able-bodied man