The Delta independent., 1924-07-25
CrawIey Compares Farm
and City Valuations
Delta, Colo, July 81, 1924.

Delta, Colo, July Il, 1924.
Dear Editor
Here are a few facts the Farmers
Union wishes to get before the farm
ers Of our county, and we know OF no
better way than through your paper.
Some of our best economists claim
our present tax system means con-
fiscation of our homes. The number
Of tenant farmers is rapidly increas-
ing being near so per cent in our
state. It would now take almost the
entire production of the farms of
Colorado to pay the tax bill we have
to pay each year. Can we, as citi-
zens, afford to hesitate longer to take
a hand in our county affairs?
! In 1916 the corporations of Colo
rado, about 20 in number, decided the
farmers We're not bearing their share
of the tax burden. They hired men
to cover the entire state, securing
transfer values, which we know quite
often was a trade where no attention
was paid to actual value, and present.
ed this information to the State Tax
Commission who promptly began to
boost our tax values to the extent OF
so million the next two years. These
gentlemen are attending to their busi.
MISS and ours, too.
During the war period, when our
values and taxes were sky rocketing
we find the values of the corporations
OF the state remaining practically
stationary. Railroads were lowered.
Telephone lines remain the same. Ex-
press company values are not changed
while oud farm machinery and live
stock double and treble.
Here are some figures we want you
to study for moment 1912 was the
last assessment on the one-third value
plan. Our land and improvements at
that time were assessed at 269 million |
dollars. The corporations of the state
231 million dollars. In 1923 we, our
farms were assessed at 521 million and
the corporations at 22S million. No |
less than when on the one-third value |
while we had doubled.
The increase in farm value during
the war period was as follows: in 1917. !
40 million dollars; 1918. 46 million
dollars; 1919, so million dollars
1920, 60 million dollars; 1921. 90 mil
lion dollars, and since that time has
dropped 81 million dollars. During the
same period the corporations were en-.
ioying the same prosperity, If you
wish to call it such, and were de-
creasing in valuation In 1917, they
increased million dollars in valua-
tion; in 1913. decreased million dol
lars; 1919, IA million dollars decreas-
ed; 1920 4 million dollars decrease;
the next two years they are the same
and increase million loddars in 1923,
almost 30 million dollars less than
when the war began or million dol |
lars less than they were worth in |
1912
The City of Denver is paying taxes |
on less value now by 13 million dol |
lars than they were in 1912 In the |
last five years our City of Delta has
been raised in value some $50 thous- |
and dollars, while Denver. claiming |
an increase of rs thousand people, |
and building permits issued for s5
million dollars, enough to make twenty
Deltas. now actually shows less value |
than ten years ago
Our State Board of Equalization |
being composed of both Democrats
and Republicans. has recognized these |
Iinjustices, and gone on record. stating
farm values should be materially re-
duced The State Tax Commission, |
and many assessors, resent the action |
of the State Board. Now is the time
to find out where the men who are |
seeking county and state offices stand
on this question. No honest man |
should hesitate to say where he |
stands. We are not asking for re-
duction. We want an equalization. |
We believe every dollar of value |
should pay its share of the tax burden
Let us support only those who are for
Justice to all
Respectfully,