Albuquerque morning journal. [volume] (Albuquerque, N.M.) 1903-1926, 1921-01-10

diiu cAlCleIllly COIluuCteu-l
quiries and do all we can tt
The text of Mr.. Hagern
II shah not have much to say
to you on this occasion, because
have had but little time to pre-
pare myself and l realize that in
so delicate a crisis as the present,
one should say nothing in public
without careful consideration.
There are. however, few points
in connection with the revenue
commissions report to which /
shall refer
IT am conscious of the fact that
the report has caused some i'll feel
ing amongst number of men now
in office and In the public service
of New Mexico. 1t is inevitable
that it should. 1t was inevitable
|Sfwhen the commission was created
that If it performed it's function
properly and honestly endeavored
to find out where lay the causes
for high taxes, we would tread on
somebody's toes. AS far as l am
myself concerned. ] very clearly
foresaw that such would be the
case when | was made chairman
of the commission and l never
would have accepted the office, if
had not been prepared to face
some adverse criticism which
would be sure to follow the publ
cation Of our findings.
THAT, l feel, has been the spirit
in which all, or nearly all, of the
members of the commission di-
= rected themselves to the difficult
task imposed on them.
The Minority Report.
zone member of the commits
sion, Mr.. Joerns, has recently filed
q minority report. This is not con-
Cured in by any other member of
the commission, although in it is
frequently used the pronoun WE
instead of the personal pronoun
az" which | feel would have been
more properfin the premises.
II have no quarrel with Mr..
Joerns because of his minority re-
port. He signed the main report
with the privilege of making sub
/, seuqent reservations, and it was
i not only his privilege, but his duty
II to make reservations to such points
"A in the majority report as he could
not approve. My only regret is,
that during the months in which
and other members Of the commits
u sion staff were at work on the
Il report here in Santa Fe, he did
very little toward cooperating with
us, although repeatedly invited to
do so, and delayed the presentation
of his views until it was quite i'm
10 thnrn,ohlxt hay
and to get the report out and pub
lished within the time allowed us.
There Is much in his report which
could have been included in the
majority report had he found oc-
casion to formulate it and present
1t to us in time.
II deem it my duty to make this
public statement in regard to the
matter. The majority report will
be published as soon as the print
ers can get at it.
Exceeded Authority" He Says.
There is one feature of Mr..
Joerns criticism, and one only, to
which I wish to briefly direct your
attention today, because it Is one
in which you are vitality interested
as officials and taxpayers, and one
too, which reaches the very vitals
of the whole situation.
HE, criticises the majority of the
commission for, as he believes,
going far beyond the authority and
and purpose of the commission
= and cites section / Of the law Gre
ating the commission to uphold
this position of his. That section
reads as follows:
"That the governor of the
state of New Mexico be and
he Is hereby empowered and
directed to appoint commits
sion of five persons, citizens of
the United States of America,
and citizens and residents of
the state of New Mexico, who
shall serve without pay and
of which number not more
than three shall be of one po-
litical party, which commits
sion when appointed shall
have power and authority to
inquire into and make recon-
mendations as to the policy or
necessity of the adoption by
appropriate legislation of
system of taxation of incomes
and the relation of such sys-
tenn of taxation to the
present system of taxation
Of property in New Mexico,
real and personal, tangible
and intangible, the taxation of
the net income Of producing
mines and all other methods
and powers of taxation in
force in the state of New Mex
leo or which may be recon-
mended for adoption by the
legislature Of the state of New
Mexico
From this" he says, at will be
seen MAT we were limited in our
investigation and report as to
questions of taxation, in other
words, the proper method and
manner by which the state could
raise money, and were not asked
nor required to advise the state as
to the manner and method Of ex-
pending the money so raised For
this reason it OCCURS to u.s. (mo)
shat it is rather prcsumptuous on
| the part of this commission to in
quire into the expenditure of
4 money by the various departments
4 OF the state government. and to
cridcise and suggest when our adj
a vice and recommendations have not
s. been asked for.
Makes Record Complete.
III ut IN only fair, to make this