Deming graphic. (Deming, N.M.) 1903-1948, 1920-11-02
TAXES ON CATTLE

The cattle industry, unlike the min
Ing industry, has no hard luck story
for the revenue commission. At least
Vic Culberson, president president OF
the New Mexico Cattle and Horse
Growers Association. 81 stated To the.
commission recently at the opening OF
the hearing -: aside for the livestock
men.
III YOU are expecting n hard luck
story I'm afraid you're going to be
disappointed" he said In spending ms
statement. OF course. the cattle IN
dustry was not az well as II might he,
but better times would come. Thht
was his yiew. Cnttlemen had gone
through bad years In the past and had
grown accustomed to them. so they had
no kick.
Mr.. Culbcrson was chief spokesman
for one branch of the biggest shlsle
industry In New Mexico. Al least the
livestock business Is down ON the as'
scssment. rolls for 125 millions, lnciud'
ing grazing lands, according To FORMER
Governor Haggermnn chairman OF the
hearings. This sum Is % millions
more than the railroad assessment
nnd the mines assessment Is far less
between 30 and - million.
Attention was called Ia the Vastly
greater Importance Of the livestock IN
dustrv ms compared with the mining
I,v the chairman In opening the near
ing He added that the states future
depended largely upon the preserNa-
tlon of the ranges and the encourage,
ment given the raising OF cattle anu
sheen He then remarked that no rep
resentative Of the sheepmcn was pres
rnt.
Mr.. Culberson said the average mar,
ket value of range cattle was 80 "llu
fine average assessed value was S'i3 anu
estimated that in the Southwestern
mart of the state 30 per cent, possibly
more of the cattle was ON Inc ASSES.
ment rolls. lie said. however tllat
some was escaping assessment. ne
soid hist igures applied only to Grant
Luna Sierra and Ilildnlgo counties
ond Jobn .Joelns, secretary of the STATE
Inv commission. said that according 10
federal government estimates NJ pr
cent az thee attic was returned Tor III"
state.
Some interesting information IN re-
card IN stnte lands was drawn troh
Mir. cnlberson. In reply to questions
bv the chairman he said there WASN'T
n cattlemnn who could pay 50 for the
stota lands. fence them, develop water
build improvements, ANA makc wv
cattle business pny. lie woului' wv
dertake to make living III the calu'
huslness with less than toWlShiP-
o4.OOO acres-hes aid.
Spcaking ,of the taxation system III
general. Mr.. Culberaon said IN us opln-
ion It's chief drawback was In failure
IN getting property ON the assessment
rolls mud favored the appointment IN
stead of election Of assessors. lie ne
loved that even the wage Garner
should pay taxes II would make q
better citizen out OF him. he believed
The possibility of making the Pueblo
Indians tax PAYERS was suggested 10y
Frank w. Clancy. former attorney gen
eral. He said they were held by the
Indian officials ut Washington. d. G.,
10 bc wards of Uncle Sam, but that
their stand was debatable. lie hoped
TO see them held citizens ANA tax pay
crs III the question were finally deler'
mined In court. go.
Mr.. Clancy advised that an ntten,p'
be mnde to tax the Pucblo'S property
The question of their citizenship lie,'
would he brought into court. Tie adu,
od that he didn't think Pueblo co'gd
be legally prevented from voting
A line on the livestock owned ny inc
pneblos was given by j. h. SAINT
chairman of the state tax commission
who said that the eighteen Pueblos IN
the state owned 5000 head of sheep
This. he said. went II long way toward
accounting for the difference between
the federal governments estimate %
the number of flocks in the state and
the number on the assessment rolis
Rupert +. Asplmd. secretary OF inc
Tax Payers Association. Thought ll%
Navnjoes owned most Of the liVeSloch
owned by the Indians. II was con
-. ehax we'll as tlp MtSCsl