Albuquerque morning journal. [volume] (Albuquerque, N.M.) 1903-1926, 1921-03-04

wholly insncere and is seeking to cloud tn" issue
The editorial again continues:
"As the Prophet of the Dawn of the New Day
uses the Latin phrase 'ad valorem it sounds like
penalty and as he interprets it as to taxing
mines, it is"
How often must repeat that we are against
a tax on mines which either Subsidies or pen
aIizes?" over and over we have asserted de-
mand for evcn-handed Justice The present law
outrageously subsidies" the mines. Where others
pay taxes according to value" the mines pay ac-
cording to "net output" met income" If you,
reader paid taxes your $4,000 home according
to vaue you would pay the local tax rate S. 900.
But if you paid met income you would pay the
local rate on the rent it will bring per year
5000.
The Special Revenue Commission, after. months
of investigation with the aid of experts made a
formal report in which they absolutely agree with
our views on mine taxation. This commission is an
Official republican creation.
Read further:
LAS the basis Of all tax laws is the general
idea of taxing property according to value 1t
is impossible to determine the value of all classes
of property according to single rule. No expert
has been able to do it successfully. Different
methods must be employed and it is the method
of arriving at valuation that forms the basis for
here, concerning the taxation of mines and other
property"
Exactly so! Many different kinds of factors
must be considered with different kinds of property
in order to assess them according to value" The
Special Revenue Commission and its sincere student
of taxation" Professor Hag, that the sole factor
of met output" or met income" will not give an
assessment according to value" The sincere stu
dents of taxation" who make up the National Tax
Association said in their Salt Lake City conference
last fall after two years study, that it would not
give this result.
Both these bodies said that every factor which
makes up value must be considered by the experts
in assessing according value" and that is pre-
cisey all the Journal is insisting upon. May We
hear from the Herald who the sincere students of
taxation" are who oppose the present New Mexico
method of taxing mines?
The Herald adds:
IF you cared to take the time to go oyer all
of the vast range of the Prophets preachments
concerning mine taxation and substitute for ad
valorem the words according to value it would
be easy to that the general tenor of it all
has been to let every other taxation problem
slip, while we soak the mines"
This statement is utterly and completely false
and known by its writer to be The Journals
"preachments" have been uniformly in favor OF
getting" all tax evaders, big and little. 1t has
urged a revision of our laws which would bring
every ones assessment to a decent level. 1t has
urged a higher of civic righteousness on the
part of every taxpayer 1t has demanded, over and
over again, that the mines pay mo more and no
less" than a just tax. So we'll known is this fact
that the brazen affrontery of the Heralds charge
is astounding.
Read on:
1--WE do not know whether mines have 'ac-
cepted the principle of ad valorem taxation or
not 1t would not be surprising if they had, for
they have been working under that principle
and paying taxes under it right along They
know how it works, and they have been paying
on an assessment of about 70 per cent of actual
value"
Not a single authority can be found to sustain
the former statement. They have not been "work-
ing under the principle" of ad valorem taxation.
They have been paying met output" Under
this law if there is met output" they will pay
no tax regardless of what the tax should be "ac-
cording to value" If the latter statement were
believed to be true by the mine they would
not have the slightest objection to coming to an
ad yalorem basis.
And finally:
1T is time now to chloroform old al
valorem and call him by his English name. 1t
is time also, to begin cutting out the fakes and
fakrs in taxation issues and get down to brass
tacks in taxation.
THAT, as we understand it, is what the ma
jority members of the present legislature are
earnestly striving to do"
The "majority members are trying to do moth
ing OF the kind Mr. Phillips senator from ColfaX
is the only majority member who is giving the mat
ter any serious thought The rest are marking
time waiting for report Percy Wilson is pre-
pairing the law which he expects them to pass.
Whether they will do it remains to be seen.
We pay lengthy attention to this editorial only
because it is the first time the mine-o owners have
officially spoken 1t is fair to assume that the
Herald accurately reflects their views and deter
limitations
Here is what the state republican platform said
the party would do about taxation legislation
After commencing the creation of the Special Rev
enue Hagerman) Commission it adds:
This commission has been created and is
now engaged in it's work.
1--WE heartily commend such action and we
will insist upon such laws as may be found.
necessary to correct any inequality disclosed"
That report with the INEQUALITIES disclosed in
before the legislature. Will the party redeem its
pledge?
We like the new idea of the mine-owners. For
we have tried get them to break their