Show t j For S SOn I On Real Estate Estate Editor Telegram Mr Taxpayer I Let Let your mind go back a few years to the time when two transcontinental trans trans- I continental lines lines were rushit toward l-toward toward each other the across Rocky R Rocky ck mountains finally meeting I and and Joining hands hailds near CorInne I Utah To encourage this great I undertaking our government gave each of ot the railroads railroads tho the Union I Pacific and the Central Pacific L tract of ot land extending twenty miles each side of or Its tracks tracks every every alternate section beginning with section 1 In each each township the even sections being retained by the government This This- land was Wis what i is called calie namely double minimum that land land that is land that is double the price cf qt the land which Is outI outside outside out out- I side o of ot tl this is zone or 50 an acre I I A person filing on any of ot th the land of the even en sections under lany any of Ot the rights rights rights-of of an American I could Oud convert his right t to ia c ca cash entry and paying the the gay gay- j gov-j eminent at this double minimum rate liate obtain his title to the land In Ina Ina ina a shorter period of time In In the eat early eighties out in r Rich county the land belonging to the railroad company compan was w-as being assessed at 25 cents an acre while the settler I whose lands lands adjoined adjoined the same land and was assessed an acre Also another hardship was when too tuo rancher broke up any of his land he had an ap additional tax of ot 10 an acre added to his already heavy burden while the land was becoming more valuable all th the while while- at the expense of ot the man wh who spent his time and money In improvements I About tho the year ear 1888 1883 a change happened the railroads being assessed assessed as- as at the tho same rate of I as-I an acre What then happened Nomore No I more passes for the county corn com com I j missioners or probate judge Lands were thrown on the market The farmers and ranchers in the vicinity vicin vicin- j I ity had preference rights and the the I county built up as never before making the people more prosperous contented and happy Salt Lal Lake e City at the present time Is groaning under the burden of or heavy taxation and the remedy I in my best judgment Is as follows follows fol fol- fol- fol folI I lows Under our tax laws the following following follow follow- ing sections appear Section cash value the for which it would sell in the open market Another section Fays ays that real reat estate and Improvements I are to b be assessed separately My ly property was assessed this year year year- year year-l real estate estate 1000 improvements 2200 The real estate Is worth in inthe inthe the open market maret 2400 I sincerely hope that when the assessor comes to my place next spring that he will assess my real estate at t this figure provided my next door doot neighbors neighbor's two vacant lots filled with weeds are are assessed at the same rate 1800 rate 1800 each Instead each Instead of or each This same samo principle applies applies applies ap ap- ap- ap plies to the business business' district In Instead Instead Instead In- In stead of ot assessing a large building like the s corporation on its Improvements and 2200 11 pea pei- front foot foot on on the real estate assess the real estate at Its full cash value From First S to Second Second- South street on the west westsIde westside westside side of ot Main l street the land is quoted at per front foot fOOl That would reduce the taxes on the on-the the Kearns building at least It would woud reduce my taxes at least third one and and- for once It would throw the burden off the shoulders of ot the home owner and nd the builders builders build build- ers of or sk skyscrapers onto those of ot the speculators tors and and the mossbacks mossbacks moss J backs acks with very few i e exceptions c Do the people of or Salt Lake City realize that the unsightly shacks s through throughout ut tho bustness bus district are bringing into the coffers of ot the money sharks more profits profits- than they are to io Do you realize realize real real- ize Mr Taxpayer that every skyscraper sky sy scra scraper er built In the business dl dI- dI enriches enrIches' those these sharks In the same proportion And when the owners of of these monuments of beauty and credit to Salt Lake Lale City name a price they have to charge i in the shape shaPo of rent Mr Shark with his 50 or up to 2000 I shacks f pows the lead and their Inthe in inthe raises the rents refits to tenants the the same proportion until at the present time the rents average 27 21 21 approximately per front foot each month And in these shacks the landlords with few ex exceptions are never to put their places Ina Ina in ina a tho sanitary condition Especially Especially Especially Es Es- Is this so in some of our restaurants and hotels where basements basements base base- ments are overrun with vermin cockroaches rats mice etc If It the cIt city health department can prevail on the now overburdened tenant to fix up a little at his own expense why why the moneyed sharks come along and raise the rents No Ko wonder wonder wonder won won- der the business man of or today who is in this unenviable condition seldom sel se- dom doni has a smile o on his face You ask ask what the rem remedy dy is Change your our system of or taxation by compelling compelling com corn the state and county boards of equalization to insist on their assessors assessing the property at Its cash value and real estate at Its full value alue Then if U the state needs more funds assess Improvements improvements improvements improve improve- ments enough to balance the dif dif dIt- ference This proposition should be put Into force next spring There would a and a rush rushon on the part of ot the mossbacks and to get out from under and buy for the West while on the other hand the In Influx Influx Influx In- In flux of people both business men and and the home builders would begin and there would be a tearing down of ot these old a shacks a cleaning UI up of till all these vacant lots ot full of ot weeds and a great deal al of Im Improvement improvement improvement im- im provement would be made and ad Salt Lake City would become become a better finer and more beautiful place in to live WALTER J J. FRAZIER |