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Show MS ACCUSED By filfflll B0ARDj State Officials Say Tax ; Amendment Vas Defeated by Misrepresentation. REPORT 15 PREPARED Suggestions Made Which ! Are Said to Present So- j lution of Problem. Ailci-ing that th .mpo-.r-d ronstitu-tinriii! ronstitu-tinriii! iinu'inlrn-iiL rehuivo to taxation w;i-a defeated in tU last election through i-n-H ;j ii. I malii-ifjiis nil-representation an. I f'''0inli!i;r! of ii Urge sum of i;ii,n-' )- tlm mining companies, the. M:;te hoard in' rqnali.:U ion in its biennial bien-nial report, l il.-tl c.-4erd:iy with the goM-rnor, HiL'ge,ts that Hull might follow fol-low tin- exaiiipln of mime other states mid n-i-v mining property on the same ,.uis as anv other class of property, at urinal alii'.'. Tin' board savs that this plan would not only im-rense 1 ho taxable value of tiii Ha'-is of property just three tunes, bin. tnanv times, and the tax problem of the Mate would la', in a lurye meas-iii.'. meas-iii.'. s.jlve-i. Im ivuar.1 to the defeat, of the pro-pnnl pro-pnnl aniriidmeiit piTinitt inic the lcgis-Inlure lcgis-Inlure to enact, u law that would tax prudiiciuu' milieu at three times the amount of their net proceeds, the board Bv the expenditure of a large sum of money and by gross and mali-e mali-e ions in is rep rose n Lai ion of the amendment by the mining companies, compa-nies, and by reason of the very general feeling of aversion to making mak-ing a change in the constitution, the amendment was defeated. Una this amendment been in efl'ect in HUG it would have added $40,000,-IK)0 $40,000,-IK)0 to the tax rolls of the state, and for 1H17 it would have added t mm $(10,000,000 to $80,000,000, thereby relieving to the extent of such increase other taxpayers of the state. And yet tho mining companies, com-panies, under tho reduced levies now effective, would bo paying no more taxes, in proportion to other taxpayers, than they have paid in, the past. But tho" people have spolcen, and we do not feel it incumbent in-cumbent upon us to make another light ou the subject. Directed Again&t Mines. Wo, want to say, however, that, in our judgment, tho producing mines in this state are paying less taxes, according to their value, than are the mines of any other state in the union, far less than their fair shnro of the public burden. In many states mines are assessed, as-sessed, like any other class of property, at actual value; and, should you in your wisdom decide to follow such plan, the taxable value val-ue of this class of property would be increased not three times, as provided in the defeated amendment, amend-ment, but many times, and our tax problem wouldbe, in a large measure, meas-ure, solved. The board suggests that the net proceeds pro-ceeds is probably the best basis for determination de-termination of valuation on mines, and that three times the net proceeds is a verv conservative estimate of a mine. ,!We do not now, nor have we ever, proposed to tax such net proceeds at three times their vaJue, " says the report. re-port. The board states that a proposition to repeal the 1915 law reducing tax levies and going back to the old" system of valuation of general property on a basis ba-sis of 20 to 40 per cent of actnal value, yet apply to the net proceeds of mines the same rates at 100 per cent of actual value, has been mooted and is meeting with much favor. The board calls attention at-tention to the fact that many mines are now being operated by leasers and, rs a result, such mines pay net proceeds pro-ceeds only upon the royalty paid to the mine owners. The board recommends that such mines be required to make Recounting to the tax department for the net proceeds of the entire ore production. pro-duction. To Guard Bond Issues. Attention is called by the board to the fact that the increased assessed valuation val-uation of property has also increased the limit or bonded indebtedness of the state and its various subdivisions. Suggestion Sug-gestion is made that some action should no taken to regulate the matter of this indebtedness to prevent its becoming excessive. ex-cessive. It is declared by the board that the law providing taxation of livestock and recognizing the right of other states to ft share of the tax is not operating satisfactorily. sat-isfactorily. The other states have enacted corresponding laws, with the result that livestock men of Utah find tho law here serves to discriminate against them and in favor of tho foreign for-eign state owner. It is suggested that this law should be remedied to eliminate elimi-nate this condition. The board calls attention to action of the supreme court in declaring uneon-ptitntioual uneon-ptitntioual that section of the" tax law of ISIo classifying cities and fixing different dif-ferent raies of school tax levies upon a basis of the assessed valuation of the various class cities, and observes that tho same applies also to countv school districts. Tr is declared imperative fiat the legislature remedy thus section of the law. .tr is suggested that the tax laws of the state be codified and printed in pamphlet form for distribution to those who are interested in tax regulations of the state. In conclusion, the board takes the liberty of warning the legislature a eains t any attempts that might be made to increase taxes for various pur- "We thmk the time ha? come to heed tee cry of the protesting taxpavers, whose right it i? ultimately to sav'how mu'h they shall be taxed, "and to "see to it that the increase of public expenditures expendi-tures does not run faster than the increase in-crease of the property upon which the burden shall fall." |