Estancia news-herald. [volume] (Estancia, Torrance County, N.M.) 1912-19??, 1920-11-25
AN EXAMPLE OF DE-
FRAUDING THE PEOPLE
albuquerque Journal.)

30 Slgnlfcant were the 1acCS re-
ported in yesterdays letter written
US by Mr.. Anderson, that we are
reproducing his communication to
day on this page, for the benefit of
: those who gave only casual atten-
ton to it.
"What goes up" in the assessors
office, "must come down." before
the state tax commission when mine
taxation is involved, if we may
judge by results.
Our friend, Hon. George S. Down
or, lawyer, had the particular case,
now decided in his favor, pending
before the Tax Commission at the
time when Hon. George S. Downer,
politician, was telling the public
that the mine-tax law was all right
end the Journal an ignoramus for
not thinking so too.
In his sworn statement as a laws
yer he attacked the injustice of the
law with great vigor. Yet in his
vehement defense of it, as a politi-
cian,> he pronounced it as fair and
just. Such apparent inconsistencies
are difficult for the layman to un-
derstand. We would gladly give
space to Mr. Downer to clear the
public mind on this point.
Mr.. Downer showed the Tax Com
mission that under the operation of
the contiguous property" clause
and the met output clause the
Springer interests were escaping
with an average tax equal to an
assessed valuation of 1921 per acre
on their coal holdings in Colfax
county, while the Phelps-Dodge hold
ings would figure S26.32 per acre,
the H. H. Chandler holdings, 13
cents per acre, and Mr.. Downer's
clients holdings about $14 per acre.
All these great differences are
due to the fact that contiguous coal
lands ar exempt where mine is in
operation and a tax on the met
output" is levied in lieu of an ad
valorem tax. The Springer interests
pay taxes on a value of -$1,323,531
which exempts $4,000 acres of con-
tiguous land from additional taxes.
Thus with some slight additions,
their average tax was .$2.S1 an acre.
The Chandler interests hold 1883
acres but were assessed on a net
output of $685., or about 13 cents
per acre.
: Tt has been shown repeatedly
that 1000 to~6,O00 acres is as much
coal land as can possibly be "con-
tiguous" to a shaft, due to the diff
ficulties of bringing coal under
ground a longer distance. The 7
Springer interests have six shafts. |
Therefore $4,000 acres is the out
side figure which could be "contig-
uous." If the met output" were
spread over this $4,000 acres only,
it would amount to about $40 per
acre. There would remain some
$4,000 acres of these properties
subject to an ad valorem tax. If
this were fixed as low as $6.29 per |
acre (the average Of the county, it
would make an added assessed valu
alton of some $3,500,000 against
the Springer interests. They would
then pay more than three times
their present taxes.
The Tax Commission has it with
in its power to make rule hold !
ing 5000 acres to be the allowance
for Contiguous" property. 1t has
rot done so, but instead, has al
lowed the added 100000 acres to |
escape taxation.
All this under the present law
which is wholly bad. in principle
and woefully weak in application.
On small separate strip of land
the Springer Interests pay on ba-
sis of S109 per acre without pro-
test of too high a valuation. If
one-half this rate applied to their |
holdings they would pay taxes on
an assessed valuation of about $26,-
100000. That may be too high a
figure, or too low; we do not at
tempt to say. We do say that the !
ad valorem value of the property;
L .l...,