Albuquerque morning journal. [volume] (Albuquerque, N.M.) 1903-1926, 1920-11-17
STATE TAX BODY REDUCES THE
ASSESSMENT ON some Mineral
HOLDINGS I'M C0LFAx COUNTY
Petition of Cherokee & Pittsburg Coal and
Mining Company Granted, and Total Valu-
alton of Property Cut in Half, Since Output
Law Makes Discrimination.
RY CLINTON p. ANDERSON. J

Santa Fe, Nov. 16.--Full relief
was given by the state tax COM
mission to the Cherokee and Pitts
hurgh Coal and Mining company in
its appeal to the state body because
Of its assessment on mineral lands
in Colfax county. The assessment
of the company was cut $106, O69
to $4,000, a reduction of practi-
cally one-half, while the valuation
of the mineral content of the land
was reduced two-thirds. grazing
values being slightly raised.
The action was brought after the
county assessor of Colfax county
had assessed the company's York
canyon tract in the following man
ner: Grazing land. 1895 acres at
$3.T5, total $10.s69; producing
mineral land, 700 acres at $46, total
$32,200: timber land. 500 acres at
50, total $4,000; total for the tract,
$47,669.
How Revision Was Made.
This assessment was revised by
the state tax commission as fol-
lows: Grazing lands. 1896 acres at
1915, s13,594; timber lands. 500
acres at 80, total $4,000; non-pro-
ductive coal lands. 4,125 acres at
s4.34, $17,902 or a total for the
tact of $4,000.
The Sugarite tract received the
following assessment by the county
assessor: Grazing land. LAO acres
at $3.75, $5,400; producing
mineral land, 400 acres at $109,
s4S,600; coal rights. 1900 acres at
81, $S,400; total for the tract. $57,-
400. The revised assessment by the
state commission was: Grazing
lands, 1.S40 acres at 1915, $500;
producing mineral lands. 1900
acres at s6.29, s1O,064. Total for
the tract, $16,964.
The action of the state tax com
mission is of extreme Importance
to the state and to Colfax county
in particular. 1t means that other
taxpayers will Immediately follow
the lead of the Cherokee and Pitts
burg and will seek to have their
assessments reduced to the general
average of the vicinity.
Discrimination shown.
The success of the Cherokee and
Pittsburg's petition was due large
ly to the facts set forth by George
S, Downer, attorney for the COM
pany, in his appearance before the
taxing body. He showed an ac-
tual discrimination in taxation in
Colfax county through the opera
ton of the mine output law. a dis
which made the
Phelps-Dodge company pay an av-
erage of s26.32 for each acre of
coal land ii owned, while
the st. Louis, Rocky Mountain &
Pacific company were able to be
assessed at figure which repre-
sented merely sc.S1 an acre for
their coal land. The Cherokee and
Mr.. Downer's clients.
were assessed at about s14 an acre.
The testimony introduced at the
hearing was extremely damaging
to the case which has been put
forth by the advocates of the net
output law for coal mines. Mr..
Downer testified that the st. Louis,
Rocky Mountain and Pacific COM
pany owned 1885 acres of coal
land in fee simple and the mineral
reservations in $4,000 acres addi-
tional. a total of 550.925 acres, un-
der which they own all the coal.
They paid taxes last year on val
aation OF sl,S2S.5Sl. determined