OCR Text |
Show fflX PROBLEM Mi ELiESlE SEfllTE Attorney General Suggests Reassessment and Constitutional Consti-tutional Amendment. NO ACTION IS TAKEN Bill Introduced, but Upper House Is Doubtful as. to Next Move. With surprising agility tho solution to the tax problem again skillfully eluded tha eager grasp of some three si-ore disgruntled dis-gruntled lawmakers yesterday afternoon. After a chase, of full sixty clays tho legislators believed they had the revenue question cornered by the adoption of an income tax law on mines, which, by the way it was figured, would go a long way toward mollifying the supporters of a general income ta and ot the same tlm j meet with the requirements of the governor gov-ernor who was especially interested m reaching the mining interests The whole proposition looked so easy that tho legislators began to wonder whv someone had not suggested it beiore. A Joint committee from the house and the senate was appointed to draft the bill and repaired to the ofhee of t.ie attorney at-torney general. Just as the lawmakers were ready to close the net, Mr. Solution cleverly dodged throuah a hole provided by the constitution, which snys something about class legislation being taboo. - , And now the lax problem is once more a member of the aviation corps. From the mine Income tax attention has been turned toward a graduated corporation cor-poration tax. which will come within the bounds of the constitution and provide the much-needed revenue during the ensuing en-suing blennium. The attorney general and such other legal talent as is available are concentrating their efforts on the preparation of a corporation tax bill which is scheduled to be presented to the legislature tomorrow morning. No Action Is Taken. attorney General Dan B. Shields was responsible for the rejuvenation of the-tax the-tax question vesterrjay when he presented his opinion on the constitutionality of senate bill No. 1 46. which provides that mines shall be taxed on three times the net proceeds. Really it wasn't so much of an opinion on the constitutionality of the proposed measure as it was on whether or not the state could collect taxes on the net proceeds of mines if thev should be assessed on three times net" proceeds and then that law should be declared unconstitutional. He expressed considerable doubt on the possibility and recommended the enactment of a bill drafted by his office and which provided for reassessment by the state board of equalization of property which had been illegallv taxed. The attorney general offered of-fered the opinion that such a law on the statute books would not be out of the way, even though'senate bill No. 140 na.-l'S not acted upon favorably. ' x. The suggestion was accepted and the bill introduced, but no other action was taken on it. The bill provides that when- ever any property which should have been or Was assessed by the state board of equalization shall have been wrongly or irregularly assessed under a void or invalid statute the property may be re- rm assessed. Proposes Substitute. The attorney general also proposed a substitute to house joint resolution No. 0, by Page, which provides for a constitutional constitu-tional amendment relating to the taxation of mines. The substitute resolution reads as follows: Section 1. That it is proposed to amend section 4. article 3. of the constitution of the state of Utah so that the same will read as follows: Section 4. All metalliferous or mining claims, both placer and rock in place, shall be assessed at rive dollars per acre, and, in addition thereto, at a value based on some multiple or sub-multiple of the net annual proceeds thereof. All other mines or mining claims, and other valuable mineral deposits, including lands containing coal or hydro-carbons, shall be assessed at their full value. All machinery tised in mining, min-ing, and all property or surface im- provements. upon or appurtenant to mines or mining claims (which shall have a value separate from such mines or mining claims) and the value of any surface use made of mining claims, or mining property for other than mining purposes, shall be assessed at full value. The state board of equalization shall assess and tax all property herein enumerated, provided that the assessment of $5 per acre and the assessment of the value, of any use other than for mining min-ing purposes shall be made as provided pro-vided by law. Section 2. The secretary of state is hereby directed to submit this proposed amendment to the electors of the state at the next general election elec-tion in the manner prescribed by law. Section ?,. Tf adopted bv the electors elec-tors of the state tills amendment shall take effect January 1, 1EH9. |