The evening herald. [volume] (Albuquerque, New Mexico) 1914-1922, 1921-03-07
MINE TAXATION PROPOSAL

IT must br obviou, TO thoughtful people that there h, been am rt
fort to divert public attention from AN other problems of tiNut.ou
1 existing u New Mc>co aud concentrate that attention upon the
problem Of tasting mines In the last campaign mine taxation was
brought forward as q dominant issue by The democrats and their sup
portcrs; a wholly ncttiou, set of conditions were held mp before the
public as demanding correction, aud a wholly false statement was
pcrsistcutly made %, to the proportion of taxation borne by mining
properties.
The democrat, and their supporter, were defeated upon that
issue. They made it the dominant issue in the campaign; elected to-
stand or fall upon the public decision in the contest, and tho over
vhcming majority of the people voted against making "a goat of the
mining industry OF this state. and in favor of m equitable plan Of
taxation of all property, without discrimination against any parti'
uhr class
Some supporters Of the recent democratic campaign have per
sisted in rm, agitation for pushing aside all other taxation problems
and concentrating upon muc taxation his perfectly clear that this
position is maintained solely because these people believe the issue
is one with which popular favor can Dee won. It is based neither on
merit nor fair play. l. does not consider the public interest. II is a
selfish position and a propaganda for political purpose.
The proposal for taxing mines contained in the rewritten rev.
cuue bin, house bill 100, i, said 10 tie the hands of the tax commits
sion: to put chain, upon the tax commission" as the Prophet Of
the Dawn of the New Day puts it and to kin the ,oil Of the special
Iarermau, has pa; it in a newspaper interview.
These assertion, are not in accord with tact, Wild statements
are to Doe expected from the Prophet of the Dawn of the New Day
- more rriictL at,iuiIa miylt have been ,Nn.,tcd from Mr. iIagrr'
man. II would even seem that The latter permitted a personal irrna
just a., il va, offered, without the dottiny of an or the crossing
o.oT Ito rccnll % classic demand Of recent history to get til" bet
The rewritten miuc'aN section of the r,enu" code a. It now
etaud, mot only doe, not "tc the hands of the tax commission, hut
H'r' u 10 create freedom OF action m" election ina. mat PROPOSED
ln the special revenue commission IS hi I ni'r The act as 1 stands
the t> commission may elect to a,,cs, mun, con- the appraisal basis
year mt auothcr method in the next. The only restriction made is
that the method chosen must apply TO all producing mining prop
alton 10 oc producing miuc aud % wholly different method TO AN
other producing mine, would bee providing that very discrimination
iu favor of mining properties against which critics of the present
taxation proposal most loudly czcaim, and would actually open the
wa. to fayorit,m which the critic, falsely alcgc to have occurred
nnr more important consideration cutters into the matter of
Of the public revenue. It is not known and mo- man can say what the
result in public revenue viii be from the taxation of mines ON the
was maI'" 70 say what the result IN valuation would bee. II" was