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Show THAT PET REPUBLICAN GOVERNMENT". GOV-ERNMENT". Jud?;e Snow Continues on the Assessment Question. Salt Lake City, February 21, 1878, Editors Herald: StYj The sow that was washed has returned to her wallowing in the mire. My pet republican government, or rather the members of it, fbrly in all, you know, having met with some inconveniences in strictly adhering to the rule of equality and uniformity, first firmly established in their minds, and in thoir written constitution made permanent, mot to adjmt the mattem in diflerenoe between them, opaned their meeting by siogiug a sacred hymn, which, a3 I am informed, ran Tike this "Love one another and never diaaemble;" this bc'ng done they prayed "lorgive us our debts, as we forgive those who are indebted to ua." This quieted all bickerings and the debts were all cancelled, the money and farms adjusted, but in the adjustment it was arranged that A, R C. D and E own the farms worth as before agreed upon $1,000 each; so A, B, C, D and E had each two farms worth $2,000; all worth $10,000; and F, G, H, I and J had all the money equally divided between them. Their constitutions provide tor a legislative leg-islative department which, anion? other things, waB charged with the duties of devising ways and moans for supporting the government. Thia legislature met and were dead set against falling again into the inequality in-equality and non-uniformity of. their post acts. So to enable F, G, H, I and J to use their mooey to advantage advan-tage an excellent idea they incorporated incor-porated a Bftvinga bauk, and authorized author-ized it to receive money on deposit and loan it out on bond and mortgage. In discussing thia question it was con-tended con-tended by some, I am told, that a bond and mortgage was not real estate, and by others that it was; some thought it vested or levied on real estate, and they could not see how anything could lie on itaelf. They concluded that these were merely metaphysical arguments and threw them out of the quentim. The bill passed. After the bill passed, one with Beeming shrewdness and a Juile sarciem said "my word for it, you will eee that bocds and morigagea will suck roal estate into their miwa!" To this some hissed, others clapped their hands and others said Order! (Jrderl whicn Drougni toe Bpuasur u hammer to the deak and order was restored, but it did not decide whether or not a thing which rented on a thing was the thing that it rested on. This waB left unsettled. The same session they revised their tax law. In it they provided that real estate and Bolvent obligations should be assessed at the cash value, money at its legal value, and money on deposit de-posit at the amount deposited when the depository is Bolvent, and for an assessor to ascertain the aggregate totality of taxable property. It provided pro-vided for raising of $300, for the current cur-rent year'B expenBeB. F, G, H, I and J, deposited their money in the savings bank and were to be allowed by the bank 10 per cent, interest per annum, r , U, ri, i ana j, oeing the only stockholders. The bank to encourage improvement on real estate, loaned out the money fur fifteen per cent, per annum to A, B, C, D and E, and took bonds and mortgages on all the real estates. At this stage, beforo the money had been expended in improvements, the asseeBor went round to make the assessment. He first called on A, B, C, D and B. A bad two farms, each valued $1,000 $2,000 and money 2,000 B bad two farms, each valued 1,000 2,000 and money 2,000 C bad two farms, each valued $1,000 2,000 and money 2,000 D had two faroiB, each valued $1,000 2.000 and money 2,000 E had two farms, each valued $1,000 2,000 and money 2,000 Aggregate value $20,000 That is right; just what the law requires! Certainlyl Certainly! He next called on F, G, H, land J who, as they had nothing else to do, were assembled at the banking bouse smoking cigars. "Good morning, gentlemen," said the assessor. "Good morning," was the reply." "I have come to make an aeseasmentof property prop-erty to day, I wish therefore, to enter on that business." "Have you any real estate, gentlemen?" "No, none." "Have you any money?" "No, none." "Hve you any solvent obligations?" "No, none." "Have you any money oo deposit?" "Y'eB." "How much, and where deposited?" F has $2,000 G has 2,000 H has 2,000 I has 2.000 J has 2,000 Amount of all $10,000 "It is in the savings bank; wa are to draw 10 per cent, per aonum." "Very well, genilemen, that will do; ynur assessment is $2,000 each, in all $10,000. Being in the bank, the assessor turned to the cashier and told his business, and as neither bad time to waste the businoas was entered upon. The assessor said: "Has your banE any reai estate?" "No, sir, none." "Any money?" "No, none; we have loaned it out in bonds and morlEiCes." "Any money on deposit?" de-posit?" "No, not any." "Have you any solvent oblations?" "Yt. sir." "How much?" "It is $10,000. It ia Becured by bsnd and mortgage, loaned in equal parts to A, 13, C, O and E, and tne real estate ia worth more than (hat." "Very well, the bank assessment is $10,000. Good day." "ritop a moment; our constitution, consti-tution, you koow, provides that tuition tui-tion shall be equal and uniform whs you know, excludes double taxation." tax-ation." "O, yes, I will look to that.,' The assessor left and footed up the aisetament roll: Real estate $10,000 Money, $10,000 Money on deposit,... $10,000 Solvent obligations, $10,000 $40,000 "Well, woll," said the aaaear, "if this ain't double taxation, I should like to know what ia? I will go and I aee 3nowon the subject." At this stage 1 fouud the case, and from lUn w.pajnr T IfiiiniPfl Lhtirie facta. Knowing my pet wad young, just merging from boyhood to manhood, man-hood, I aaaumed the right to explain and told the assessor a government was a necessity; to support a government govern-ment Borne means must be devised; that a government without a fund was as bad off us a man without food or clothing; that the idea of property originated with the idea of government govern-ment and is its creature; that property from necessity ia tome times movable and some times immovable; that it is by virtue of the law that A, B, C, D and E have their right to the farms and the money; that in the absence of that law F, G, H, I aud J might enter upon and take their lamia from them and their money; that money e only a creature of law, though a material Bubstaoco. us primary objects are, firat, to fix a standard of value, without it the value of the farms could not be fixed; necond, to provide a circulating medium, me-dium, aometimes called the medium of exchange; third, to prorido something some-thing aa a legal tender for solvent obligations. Solvent obligations are alio creatures of law and derive their value from it. Mortgages the same. Banks are only fixtures of law, a means devised for good ends aud objects. ob-jects. Monev on deposit would never have been known or even thought of in the absence of a law creating the money. With all these properly conducted, con-ducted, any man in your government may remit any reasonable amount of monoy to Europe and back ag lin without sending one dollar, only deposit de-posit it iu your savings bank, tike a solvent obligation called a bill ol exchange, send it to your friend in Europe, let him present it at tho bank on which it is drawD, let that bank place it to the credit ot the payee, let the payee give a check on that bauk to his friend who wishes to come and five with him, let that friend go and get a chenk from the bank in Europe on your savings bunk and come on aud get his money. "Well, well, Mr. Snow, all this may be well enough fur aught I know, but ilnei thut. Rlmw that mv assessment roll is right? I can only find $20,000 tangible property, aud according to my figuring the aesossment roll foots up at $-10,000. That looks as though it was double." "True, your assessment roll, through the variable officos your money has performed, has been in-i in-i creased. Your constitution does not say the assessment roll shall not be increaabd, but if the increase of the assessment roll doubles the tax, it will in this circuital! manner amount to a duplication. Now compute yourself, your-self, always keeping in mind you are to fix the ad valorem amount so as to produce $300, no more nor no less." Said be, "I will juat try 3 per cent. Then $10,000x8 $1,200; that ia four timed loo much, bo I will try 2 per ceut. $10,000x2 $S00; that is too much. I will try 1 percent. $10,000 xl $100. I Bhall get it next time. I will try ? of 1 per cent. $40,000 x J of 1 $300. I have got it. Guess work is as good as any, if you only guess right. j But if the assessment roll be iu- , creased the ad valorem per centum is correspondingly decreased. tMr. Editor My miniature republic, re-public, with my ad valorem tone, hue beeu suggested from the difficulty of preserving in legislation the rights of all interested. I think it just to preauaie that when tho law in a the legislature intended to depart! as little aa possible from ihe rules of equality and uniformity. I There is a case in California where! my miniature hank case is almost a' fau simile; it was argued twice before the court at great length and with eminent ability. The court reasoned , ably. I', was stated by one of the counsel that between twenty and thirty states had taxed solvent nbliga-l tions without any regard to mortgaged. This reminds me, as they there dif fered in judgment, of what a manj said to me a few days ago, coucerniug the arguments of counsel in the Hol-den Hol-den case, whioh was, that thesB argu ments hsd had the effect on him to i no longer blame Christians for differing dif-fering in (heir tenets or doctrines.! I hope the aBBessor will not find insurmountable difficulties in collecting collect-ing his taxes, but if he does not find differences of opinion when he gets back it will be bscause bis government govern-ment is composed of very clear beaded men who long since learned that figures are very reliable. Yours Truly, Z. Snow. |