Albuquerque morning journal. [volume] (Albuquerque, N.M.) 1903-1926, 1920-09-13

over 100000 acres of land with
roads TO be built and maintained,
yet with only about Is per cent of
the real estate actually being taxed,
and little more than that per cent
is improved. so as to produce moth
ing like what il should produce
The state engineer estimates the
total mileage of roads in New Mex
leo at 1901 miles. The total mile
age included in federal aid approx
mates $500 miles, 40 per cent of
which, it is estimated passes
through public domain.
! Gould one of the middle states
surrender IS per cent of its real
estate value and prosper? When
| it is called to mind that this state
has practically nothing industri-
ally uns TO the present time, and
that its prosperity has heretofore
been due solely to the agricultural
and grazing interests with no large
coal or metal production, is not
the handicap of the large percen-
| tage of the lands not in use, or If
in use, almost solely unimproyed
and producing only a small part
of what it should produce, quite
sufficient to account for the lack
of progress in New Mexico? Well
! intentioned members of congress,
who came from the eastern and
! middle states satisfied with the
land laws that have heretofore
! been placed upon our statute books
because of the splendid result OBJ
tanned in the middle states. where
| all lands are strictly agricultural
| lands, have lent a deaf ear to us
of the arid west. when we have
complained that such laws are ILL
adapted to this country. A hundred
and sixty acre homestead was a
magnificent endowment to the men
in Iowa, and other states of the
middle west, but it is absolutely
| useless to a man of the great arid
desert. We have more than 49,
600, 900 acres of government public
land in New Mexico, which cannot
be leased, purchased, fenced or i'm
proved, except at an abnormal risk
to the man who uses them. They
bring no tax revenue to the state
or the county in which they are
situated, and they are supporting
but a fractional part of the live
stock which they could support il
leasing privileges were granted and
the land be fenced or improved or
put in such condition that they
could be sold to stockmen. who
would improve them. The people
of New Mexico are better able to
administer these lands than the |
people at Washington. our own
state lands already given TO us are
more wisely administered than the
public domain situated in this |
state.
If l have fingered on the subject |
of land and the valuation for as
sessment purposes, it is because
New Mexico, with other arid states, |
is contending that the general gov
eminent should quit claim all pub
lie domain to the various states
where such public domain is To-
Gated.
/ am, on behalf of the state Tax
Commission of New Mexico, sub
hitting souvenir copy of an ad
dress by Governor Larrazolo of our
state on the liberalization of public
lands of the United States. Our
Tax Commission realizing the i'm
recognizing the exhaustive and re-
liable information contained in this
booklet, have prepared this souye-
mir copy for the members of the
National Tax association, so that
they may see and study the great
injustice that is being done to the
public domain states as reflected
in the records produced in this ad-
dress.
New Mexico has vast undevel-
oped resources now lying below
the horizon of profits, the charac-
ter of which precludes reasonable
for taxation. They con-
sist of large areas of commercial
timber remote from transportation
facilities. large areas of undevel-
oped coal lands, copper, lead, zinc,
and other metals, a.
great deal of which is in private
ownership, yet is undeveloped for
the lack of capital, cheap trans
portation or market requirements.
The assessment of such resources ,
has always been question of seri- |
Dus consideration, and has never ,
been satisfactorily adjusted. 1t is :
not proper that such property 5
should escape taxation. For in ,
stance, large tract of pine timber I
hat covers over one billion meas /
lred feet, sixty miles from trans
held for speculation
Dur commission, recognizing the ,
potential value of such property, Z.
assess the standing timber at 40
cents per thousand, and as the :
and affords good summer pasture, .
We assess the land independent at :
s2.25 per acre; other resources we :
attempt to assess at something like :
/ value on its probable demand. a
A high tax rate is not thing of !,
tself, it is a relation. What peo- :
Die complain of is that the tax :
burden is not equally distributed. :
t is not within the range of eco
ionic possibility that enters into :