Show If Communication i X 1 Salt Sal Lake LIe City Nov No 2 1916 Republican Herald n ThI morning you ou courteous courteously gave space to statement by the state board of ot equalization n on the proposed amen amendment mont to Article Artcle 13 o of the constitution constitution tion ton and cia ns a owner home-owner there thero being no special or organization n. n to tal take talo o caro care of ot th that l Interest or to Us use tate state funds in ton tion tor I request a n similar courtesy for or u t further view S S The u st. state board bord claims to call attention to the tho s several cral plo lel provisions ns of ot the present constitution that are aro omitted in Jho amendment amend amend- ment and proceeds with wih Its Ia explanation of or of those thole pro provisions S But Dut It omits omis to discuss certain other cr ah and arHl l to owners home generally more ot vital lal provisions I call cal attention to a n few C Items state board has tho the car ear car of t the Legislature Legis lature In passing laws because e of or Its special special cial opportunities and it Its Is frequently demonstrated dem inclination to secure enactments enact enact- month ments increasing Its Is o own n powers The county boards have recourse only to the courts under constitutional guarantees guarantees guaran guaran- tees to defend the rights of ot the tho people people In Inthe Inthe the tho various arlous counties The Time state board In this amendment proposes proposes proposes pro pro- poses to deprive time the count county boards of ot this constitutional power Here Herc Is la nn an Illustration of or a n reason from the record Some years n ago o tho the state board procured procured pro pro- cured the thc passage c of ot a law giving giving- it authority authority au au- au- au to assess certain properties within with with- wih- wih in a count county It I did lid so In Salt Sal Lake Lako count county and f fixed ec the assessment o of the tho property of ot certain public utilities and also nIo of ot a big corporation corpora corpora- tion at ridiculously low rl figures ules Salt SaIl Lake e count county board In tho Interest of ot tIme the taxpayers of tho the county d directed its Is assessor to assess those properties at nt a a reasonable figure which was dope Then came camo n a contest in time the courts and the tho county won because of oC Its Is constitutional constitutional t guarantee and for no other possible S reason renson on The note noto to Sec 2550 2559 5 Compiled Laws of or Utah 1907 tells tho the story etory In its is syllabus s of the case as follows State St c board cannot assess property or franchise e wholly within one nt cO county law giving such authority Is contrary to Con art art 13 sec 11 1 state ex cx rol vs Eldredge 27 U. U 47 76 P. P This Is la public record The state board had controlled the Legislature In tho the formers former's quest for ad additional ad- ad power and the time provision pro In the constitution saved the peoples people's rights in that case This amendment proposes to repeal repeal re re- peal tho er very clause which gave the people protection I 1 I When hen this case was on It was currently currently cur cur- j reported that members of or the state 1 board had t told the count county hoard board the they would get that thet pro provision out o of the constitution It I appears to me Inc that the state board Is now proceeding to carr carry out that threat by tho proposed amendment and thus thus' to i throttle the county boards which represent i the time people direct direct S The state board procured the law which ran up UI assessments this year ear to the excessively excessively ex ex- ex- ex II high h figures of or which the people peo peo- lilo 1110 complain Under pressure and orders from tho time state board from time to time the assessment on homes and farma farms in various counties of the state has been Increased enormously It I does not need a constitutional constitutional amen amendment ment to reduce taxes on the tho peoples people's homes Stop misusing public dont don't salaries for COl mono monc money pa pay enormous small smal ser 10 away with public Jobs that aro are unnecessary sary Not Nt man many years ar since the state board was assessing certain largo large public utilities at at 19 per cent or less of ot their actual value while Salt Sal Lake county count homes were wore being assessed at more more than three times that percentage percentage percentage per per- and tho state board was demandIng demanding demand demand- Ing of the thc Salt Lake county board a fur fur further ther timer Increase on those homes The count county board took the matter mater up tip with the boards of ot eighteen other counties having ha these public public- utilities and nineteen J counties simultaneously demanded action acton by bythe bytho bytho 1 tho the state board correcting the evil ovll 1 0 then the state board practically doubled the public utility assessment because It could not withstand withstand with with- stand stanc tho thA storm This too is public record It I was as commonly reported then that state board board members had made moro more throats threats to the Salt Lako Lake county count board boar because because of ot tho the latter later having been the Instigator of or the movement in behalf of ot the people under constitutional power of ot count county boards of or equalization Tho The striking out of ot section 11 by this amendment would be a fulfillment of ot those threats The facts cited furnish a reason for tor forthe forthe the tle repeal which the state board hoard omits omis to suggest The tate Mate board further says aYs We Ye have havo Interest In the tho no personal matter mater The state board Ta Tax Commission Report Report Re Re- port p. p H 14 wants to direct and control county assessors In all nl matters relating to assessment That report says Tho The assessor assessor as as- sessor should be placed under some central a authority thorl preferably under our system the state board of or equalization The board its ts report for tor 1910 1909 p. p 7 7 says SEQ'S This board Is strongly of or tho the opinIon opinion opinion ion that count county assessors should be appointed appointed ap ap- ap pointed rather than elected Then county count a assessors as appointees of the state board would be under tinder Its Is' Is control in all al matters The chairman of the tho o tax commission Report Report Report Re Re- port p. p 10 now a member of ot the state board sa says s 's Tho The salaries of the a assessors of ot the several counties should bo be materially in In- In creased Some SOle power ver and somo sonto fine Jobs for appointees of 01 the state board What an effective political machine for tor that board The same chairman of the tax commission now not noon on the state board Report p. p 81 81 says the salary salan ot or tho the members of or the time state board now no 1500 we wo have fixed at nt per annum This In ira our opinion Is the vcr very least that should be he allowed and wo we 0 believe that a salary of ot 1500 or per annum would prove noney well wel expended This same state board member says sas a s 's Tax Commission Report pp 83 5 in connection connection tion ton with the recommendation that the tho terms o of Its Is members be made six six Ix years ealS Instead of ot four tour as now that b by state appointment of ot that board there will wi be selected bettor better beler qualified men muon for the positions than would ordinarily be bc elected and adds Tho The general general gen gen- gen gen- eral oral public cannot be expected to take tako the tho time to Inform itself as ns to tho the qualifications qualifications of a man man for ot a R position requiring special spa spa- cial Imo knowledge I do 10 not t ascribe a n motive of f personal 1 Interest for tho the state boards board's official ad advocacy advocacy ad ad- I of ot the thc amendment but hut leave the lie the public pub pub- lie lic to tu decide on the record The rhe board alwa always s 's bus hns resl resisted t ll a alu lu v la w providing for tor the ho assessment of r prop prop- prop prop- CI city I t affording to Its earning capacity Is which would bo be Just juet to law v over every property holder hohler In every evory vor class o of life Because of ot the tho state state opposition such laws M have been defeated de de- de- de tented In the Legislature The Tho present constitution con- con permits them but the amendment docs dc riot not not S The discriminatory features between differing dir dif lit luring fering classes of 01 property provided In lit section sec eec tion 1 of the amendment and unc tho the removal lemo al of the tax lax ax limit b by section 9 also ulso present such vital vial objections that l the owner home who realizes cs what the they m rnea mean an must vote against the amendment ut I have o ao taken nuch of or your OUI space already With thanks s sor for or tho ho courtesy Respectfully ARTHUR W W. BROWN BROW S |