Show Taxation o of Public Utilities rates T is provided by the constitution o of Utah that II all property properly in this IT state not c. c exempt empt under tho the laws of oC the tho United States or under this constitution shall be bo taxed according to its ils value it further provides provides pro pro- vides that the Legislature shall provide by law a a. uniform and equal rate of 01 assessment and ta taxation on all property in tb tbt state according according accord accord- ing jug to its value in money This constitutional mandate mandata is obeyed so far as concerns the home homo of the tho small taxpayer but there is little doubt that it is not obeyed with regard to the property of the tho public service ser corporations although under TInder tho the actual order of this fundamental fundamental fundamental fun fun- law it is specifically provided that there thero shall shaH bo ho no dis dis- dis- dis crimination Tho board of commissioners of revenue and t taxation on appointed b by the Governor under authority from the last Legislature has made o oits its report to tho the executive The commission was assigned tho the duty of revising the tax tat and revenue le laws o of the state of framing a n. now V system that would remove the tho present inequalities and of suggesting such legislation as would accomplish this This the board has done dono I and among its recommendations is ono one that urges tho the assessment of public publio utilities corporations on a a. basis of fair cash value instead of physical value and II franchise value In that recommendation tion wo we heartily concur although submitting that tho the desired re rc result rc snit salt can call bo be accomplished under present laws and would havo have been done long IonS ago had bad these laws is been obeyed The Tho home of the average taxpayer is assessed at a certain proportion proportion proportion pro pro- portion of its money value as tho constitution provides and that money value valne is s supposed to bo ho tho the sum for which the property could be sold Is there thero any reason why the property of f railroads telephone telephone telephone tele tele- phone and telegraph electric light and power companies gas and street car concerns should not bo ho assessed upon that basis 7 There is none of course COUlSO and anu even if there thero were the organic law of tho the state is so plain on tho the point that it shot should d not be evaded It may be he argued that this same sarno result is reached by assessing at physical cal value and franchise franchiso value but that is not the point since every citizen who has investigated knows that his homo is assessed at a n sum much greater in proportion to its Hs actual money value than is tho the property of tho the pubic utilities corporations It is a question of men more than of laws If the tho suggestion of ot tho the tax commission can be incorporated in a statute that cannot be nullified by official negligence incompetence or design by all means let it bo ho placed upon tho the statute books Yet there would seem that present laws give ghe the state board of equalization ample authority since ince its power to assess public service companies that operate in more than one county is ample and adequate It should make no difference whether legal necessities or otherwise otherwise other other- wise induce the tho board to assess public service property at physical cal value alue and and franchise value alue since the ass assessment at the same proportion to cash value that is employed in the case of the tho little homo home wOl would d rid the present system of many of its ils inequalities and aud reduce tho the burden of taxation 1 Ti |