Show we must defeat this amendment to the constitution of our state salt lake hebald with the passing of constitution day marking the one hundred and thirty first anniversary of the grea greatest test document in the wol id the american constitution NN we e are reminded of the sacredness of our own state dockum document ent preserving and protecting the fundamental rights of the people of utah of late there has been a disposition on the part of legislators to seek amendments to the exist ing provisions of the constitution adopted by oui people when utah was admitted to statehood As a result af these efforts the people of the state will vote on proposed amendments to the constitution of utah at the forthcoming election the list includes one pio pi posed amendment which savors of blackmail delegating to officials beyond the control of the people vast powers which may be te used to extend personal onal clique and party intel interests ests the le solution jammed through the last ses sion of the utah legislature on the list day seeks to give the state board of equalization 1 full power and discretion in the taxation of mines and mining property propel prop eity ty in the state 1 the proposal is ding dangerous erous delegating an unlimited power to men beyond the control of the people and must r be overwhelmingly defeated to the end that the ution may be kept clean membris s of the blaid d of equal izi tion are appointees of the governor gov einor and are laidely subject to his control and direction to further ampha size the danged ahead we direct attention to the policy of bamberger requiring appointive officers ceis to sign undated resignations upon taking office we ald hold no brief for mining coni companies pinies and are thoroughly committed to the belief that they should pay their full share shire of the taxes but we are unalterably op posed to writing into oui constitution any measure which nill ill constitute a club in the hands of the state board of equalization to be used oi 01 spared as that board sees fit mining companies aie ale now assessed on the full amount of then thell net proceeds on then surface ground and on their improvements in addition they pay an oc cu pation tax of 3 per cent on then net proceeds the present requirements apply to all and ind little official fa vontism can be extended without a transgression of the constitution now it is proposed to give gre the board of unlimited authority to fix taxes on value b based ased on some multiple or of the net annual proceeds of the company it permits the board to tax mining companies as they see fit without providing any course of appeal for the companies the authority pro posed would constitute a vehicle of blackmail to be used against companies not holding the favor of the board we need not discuss the relation of the mineral de posits of utah to the future welfare of the state the proposed resolution drives not alone at the mining inter ests of utah but the entire industrial fabric of the state while we ne are revering state and national constitutions let us remember that their strength lies in their funda mental principles of right if they are to endure they must be kept as clean as they were given to us and to tins thi s end the immediate task before the people of utah is to defeat the proposed amendment |