Albuquerque morning journal. [volume] (Albuquerque, N.M.) 1903-1926, 1922-06-13
TAXES IN NEW MEXICO.

Increases in taxes has been of the main top
les of discussion in New Mexico for several years.
1t has been aired through the columns of the press
by public speakers and has been the subject of
numerous street corner arguments. Numerous rem
edies have been suggested including cutting the pay
OF school teachers economy in the administration of
state and county offices and the adjustment of
tain offices which considered superfluous
That the cost of government in New Mexico has
shown a gradual increase since became state,
cannot be disputed and unless something is done
keep the taxes from going higher, even though they
cannot be noticeably reduced, we are going to come
face to face with serious situation if we have
not already arrived at that point.
or course, there many phases Of this taxa
ton situation with which the average layman is not
familiar but it is undoubtedly that one of the
greatest evils from which the suffering in
its taxation system is that an enormous lot Of prop
erty is omitted from the tax rolls and much of the
property that is listed for taxation is disgracefuy
undervalued.
II. r. Stephens, auditor for the New Mexico Tax
peyers association, who has been checking the
records in San Miguel county. before a meeting
called at Las Vegas last week to organize a local
branch of the state association, made the following
statements in regard to some of his findings:
There are many determinations the
books in the tax assessorss office in both land
and live stock assessments. This statement,
said the speaker, did not mean that the dscrm
nations wilfull.
"One man had mortgaged 29S head of cattle
and on his tax schedule turned in 40 cattle and
36 sheep.
Another had mortgaged 1.574 cattle and 1Os
horses He made return of SIT cattle and 40
horses.
"one had mortgaged S,1Gs head of sheep and
had returned 1870 head.
zone had mortgaged total Of 2O2 head OF
horses and cattle and had returned for taxation
five horses and three head. of cattle
II is not our intention to cast any reflections
upon the citizens or the officials of San Miguel
county They are just honest and efficient as
those in any other county in the state. 1t is prob
able that similar conditions will be found in each
of the other so counties
Some people to labor under the mistaken
impression that they can save few dollars oS
emitting some OF their property from the tax roiis'
or undertaking what they do list Possibly TINS Is
,,us IN a certain extent But the fact should NOT
he lost sight of that certain amount OF money Is
rocessarv to run the state each year. and no par
icular Intelligence should be necessary for one TO
arrive at the conclusion that if, say million DOL
lars worth of property is omitted from the TAX
tho tax rate must be increased sufficiently TO false
the amount of money required by the state .
What New Mexico needs, apparently, Is TO get al
tho nroperty on the assessment rolls at somewhere
near its actual value, and then see that the taxes
.re collected When this is done we Tell sure lha'
+bera will he considerable reduction in the present
tax rate and no doubt the states revenues VIII oe
increased 10 a considerable extent