Albuquerque morning journal. [volume] (Albuquerque, N.M.) 1903-1926, 1920-12-15

10 tlc productive interests and
commercial interests, the railroads
and the banking and professional
interests There are very few man
ufacturing interests in New MeXl-
co. This is rough classification,
of course, but one must try to put
tags on things in order to classify
them for purposes of discussion.
Now our productive interests are
far and away the most consider
able of any in the state, except the
railroads. l include in that group
the farming and livestock inter
ests, the land interests and the
mining interests All these pro-
ductive interests, including the
mining interests. have been hard
hit by the post war depression
! The sections, groups and individu-
ais and corporations behind these
productive interests which are
creating new wealth for profit
and producing food for mankind
are probably worst off than any
other class of property holders in
the state at this moment.
Must Treat All Fairly.
zone must not forget that every
producer, whether he be one of us
with a forty-aCre farm or a small
stockman with fifty cattle or one
hundred sheep, or big ranchman
with 10000 head of cattle and
100000 acres of pasture. or the
little miner on a single claim, or n
great porphory mine with an
enormous daily production, is for
the moment right up against it, and
operating at a loss. We must re-
member that no discussion of the
situation can be fair which does
not admit that every producer, be
he great or little, is entitled to the
same consideration from the pub
lie Just as long as he plays fair
and puts his cards on the table.
There will be no possibility of our
getting on an equitable basis of
operation if for any reason, pOliti-
cal, social or otherwise, any of us
approach the discussion with a
lurking prejudice in our minds for
or against any interest, or group or
corporation or individual because
of its bigness or smallness. l
wish you would always bear that in
mind. | think everyone should
bear it in mind, and l do not think
that it has been sufficiently borne
in mind in the recent political
campaign A man is not bad be-
cause he is rich, nor good because
he is poor. His badness or good
ness depends very largely on other
attributes than his poverty or
wealth.
Tried to BE Fair.
81 certainly have tried very hard
to bear all these things in mind in
my work with the revenue COM
mission, and | am sure. too, that
this is true with the other mem
bers of the commission, IT has not
seemed to us that the problems Of
taxation could be properly consid-
cred without q full inquiry into the
revenue needs of the state, or that
these needs could in turn be even
approXimated without going into
the matter Of administration as it
is and as it should be. Some peo-
pie have criticised us for going too
far, and perhaps we are open to
criticism on that score, but if the
findings we have reached and the
recommendation we have made
fairly represent the consensus of
public opinion, and are economi-
cally sound they should not be dis
regarded because of temporary pO-
litical eXpediency or because to
carry them out seems for the mo-,
ment practically difficult.
Nothing Revolutionary.
IF the people really want TO
change our system on the lines rec
commended, and are convinced that
such changes are wise, it would be
a comparatively simple thing for
them to do 50. There is nothing
revolutionary about our sugges-
tons they are in the main, we feel,
merely evolutionary, and on lines
which will inevitably be reached IN
the course of that steady world
progress which, in spite of occa-
sional setbacks, all except cynics,
pcsSimistS and selfish materialists
must have faith in.
Now what do we propose, you
will ask.
The law creating the commits
sion provides that the commission
shall have power and authority to
inquire into and make recommen-
dations as to the policy or neCessi-
ty Of the adoption by appropriate