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Show I v'CUH PROPERTY I III JIM BOIL H ' Millions of Dollars' Worth ; Owned by Mormon Church Escapes Taxation. H AMUSEMENT HALLS AND j PROPERTY NOT ASSESSED Ij Buildings and Grounds Not Used HBj Exclusively for Religious i Worship Overlooked. K' 4 Tho legislature shall provide by 4- Hli ! law a uniform and oounl rate of j assessment and taxation on all jfj'v -I property In the state, according ibi to Us value In money, and shall -:- HjB- -i prescribe by general Jaw such f regulations as shall secure a just Hjjl.: i valuation for taxation of all prop- 4- HS' v erty. so that every person and Cl ! corporation shall pay a tax in pro- K! ! portion to his, her or Its property: 4 I IB; provided. that the property 01 m the United States, of the state, r lx, tf counties, cities, towns, school dls-r dls-r tricts, municipal corporations and 4 IB; public libraries, lots with the IB! ; buildings thereon used exclusively -I I ' !- for either religious worship or 4 i 4 charitable purposes, shall be ex- 4 I " 4- empt from taxation. (Sec. 3, ar-if ar-if tlcle XIII. Constitution of the l State of Utah.) -f. i, Tn accord with this article of the rj constitution, legislation has been enact-jl enact-jl ed which exempts from taxation prop-is prop-is erty named in the section, including i Jniildings used extensively for religious worship and for charitable purposes. But for somo reason, ever since the prate was admitted into the union, ' there is a vast amount of property ' owned by the Mormon church, in Saft , Lake county in particular, which has ' ,;l never been assessed for taxation. Tithing House Grounds Omitted. For instaucp, the grounds which have boon used for the tithing house never have been assessed. These grounds and ' the buildings thereon, now being razed ( in order that a big hotel may be creet- oil, have never been assessed. This I does not include tho site upon which i the old Dcseret "News building stood j the ground running east from tho cor- nor and fronting upon South Temple 1 .street. The ground in question which ' has escaped taxation was put into Iho I new hotel proposition at something like 100,000. Why this piece of propert-Ejj propert-Ejj has never been assessed, no one knows. ly( On the corner of Second avenue and fLt A street a handsome structure has been wm -erected by the church, known as Wliit-IKItf Wliit-IKItf ncy-hall. It. is a desirable location and HlB a valuable piece of proper ty. Tt. is used HHEj amusements and social gatherings. Hflftj This property has never been assessed n for taxation. "Why, no one knows. Near the corner "of Second avenue and i T) street is the Twentieth ward amuse- IY 'incut, hall. It is separate and apart f from tho Twentieth ward meeting -house. "Both pieces of property arc own rul by the church. The ground upon k which the amusement hall stands, as " also the improvements thereon, has never been assessed. Why, no one I .knows. Amusement Halls Not Taxed. In fact, every amusement or assembly assem-bly hall owned "by the Mormon church , in" Salt. Lake county and there arc a number of them have never been assessed as-sessed for taxation. Those halls are not used as places of worship, nor are they charitable. institutions. Why they ' have never been assessod no one knows, but for years they have evaded j taxation. I .The Lion house, a par.t and parcel of" , the official residence of tho president of the Mormon church, is not, assessed for taxation. At the present time it is ! said to be used as a part of the Lat- I ter-rlav Saints college, and it might be i held That it thus came under the head of schools and that it would therefore 1 bo exempt; but it is not a public school, j but a private or denominational col- i ' Ab to the Temple, j Tho Salt Lake temple, which cost I Jour millions of dollars, is not assessed j for taxation. This building, under the j law, is not used exclusively for relig- I ious worship or for charitable purposes. I rt is not open to the public. It is used for the purpose of performing rites. No one. unless a momlicr of the church in good standing, is ever permitted to enter its portals, and. to further exclude ex-clude outsiders, it is fenced off from that, portion of the grounds on which the tabernacle aud assembly hall, both of which am used exclusively for religious re-ligious purposes, stand, and which, of I course, are exempt, from taxation. Peo- pie are wondering why tho temple is not assessed for taxation. As a matter of fact, the .Mormon, I 0 church owns in Salt Lake county nul- f lions of dollars worth of real estate, including the buildings thereon, which is not used exclusively for religious or charitable purposes, upon which it nays no taxes; nor has this property been assessed. Why, no one knows. Up to Commissioners. Tn view that the board of commissioners commis-sioners is this month sitting as a board of equalization, and is rebating and exempting many from taxation, I lie bonrtl might make inquiry into this groat amount of taxable property owned bv the church, not usen for either religious or charitable purposes exclusively, and see. that it goes upon the tax roll, and that it pays its proportion pro-portion of the burden of the people. |
