Show j k I TAX TAX COMMITTEE REPLIES DENES TO I BAilEY i I II Farm Body Takes Except Exceptions Exceptions I t ons to Statements Quoted I ed From State O Officer 1 I The Utah state farm bureau hureau tax committee consisting of James M. M Kirkham Ephraim Bergeson E. E T. T I Capener Hershel Bullen and D D. 1 V. V Beal toda today addressed an open letter letterI I to William Bailey president of the sta state e board of equalization and assessment assessment assessment assess assess- ment which is a reply to an interview Inter had by The Telegram with Mr Bailey regarding the taxing conditions in the state The letter is as follows On the The Salt Lake Telegram published a purported d Interview interview inter Inter- view with you in which you make malce eel cert tarn tain definite charges against the Utah state farm bureau This committee j has reserved a reply for several days anticipating a correction or a denial I rn m case you were inaccurately quoted We Ve now assume that the statements were correctly attributed to you The farm bureau would have welcomed a i direct communication from you either in person or by letter and would have I been pleased to confer with you reI regarding re regarding re- re I garding matters of taxation but you I adopted your method in making reference reference reference refer refer- I ence to us and we are forced to reply in the same manner I SHIFT SHIFT THE BURDEN As quoted in this interview you charge that the farm bureau is trying tr to shift the burden of taxation and to crawl from under the load We Ve are surprised at such a statement coming from a man who has held your present position through several successive administrations ad ad- ministrations and who must know thereal the thereal real rear attitude of th the farmer in these matters You do not say what the bureau has done or is doing that would Justify your charge We Ve would like to toI have had you particularize You certainly certainly certainly do not intend to deny the right right of ot the property owner to resist over over- taxation What we are contending foris for forIs foris is an assessment based upon the actual ac actual actual ac- ac cash value not only onh lands stock and city homes but of all other taxable property the property the very thing you emphasize in your interview as being necessary We make the charge that in many instances farm lands are assessed on a basis in excess of ot the actual cash value and we make the further charge that many vast property property property prop prop- erty Interests In our state are as assessed assessed as- as u upon on a basis which is less than the actual cash value and that there ere ereIs is a vast amount of property in this state which is wholly escaping taxation All these facts we are prepared prepared prepared pre pre- pared to demonstrate to you I If all of these abuses had been corrected It is probable that the farm bureau would have been relieved of its present bur bur- den THE BOOM PERIOD PERIOD In your report of ot 20 1919 page 6 you say that in some counties the lands which were capable of intensive cultivation n increased d from Em 30 per cent to 40 per cent in value during the past few years arid that because of that fact a of farm lands was made It is a matter of common knowledge that there was an unprecedented unprecedented unprecedented dented rise in the market value of farm farmlands farmlands farmlands lands in 1918 This ti was as generally recognized as a t boom oom period in agricultural agricultural agricultural agri agri- cultural lines It is quite as well known that this peak period passed in 20 1919 and that since the higher basis of appraisement appraisement appraisement ap ap- was adopted there has been a decline of approximately 35 per cent in farm lands We Ve base this statement upon a wide investigation and it expresses the consensus of 0 opinion of ot all the leading real estate companies investment companies and banks of this region You are at lib liberty liberty lIb lIb- erty to examine and verify the data I which we have collected upon this sub sub- You would say of course that the appraisement of 1919 was correct I We Ve agree that it was high enough but what it was then it remains today If It it was right then it is wrong now Furthermore we are prepared to show you that as a matter of fact there isan Isan is isan an overvaluation now It Is not our purpose to do this through the public press and we shall confine ourselves to the answering of unjust criticisms publicly made Now what we demand demand is a re- re appraisement of farm lands in order that they may be assessed upon their actual cash value and we do not hesitate hesitate hesitate hesi hesi- tate to assure you that we propose to exert every effort to secure Just that result We Ve are not seeking to crawl from under any legitimate burden and we are making no effort to shift any part of our burden to anybody else Just as far as it lies within our power we propose to resist the placing upon us of ot any unfair tax burden and we propose to do all that we Can an to see that others shall pay upon the a actual cash value of their properties to the end that we shall all be assessed upon the same basis PUBLIC ECONOMY It is our further purpose to Insist insist I upon public economy and in this undertaking undertaking undertaking un un- we propose to secure and to give to the taxpayers all the reliable I information we can If It you OU have any further criticism of this policy it must be a matter of Indifference in indifference indifference In- In difference to us as we wo know of no other way to proceed We Ve had anticipated that we should have the pleasure of ot cooperating with you in what we believe be belleve believe be- be lieve to be an effort that will benefit the people of the entire state We Ye were under the impression that in seeking I Justice for the agricultural interests we were performing a public as all well as a selfish purpose purpose purpose-a a service which would tend to stabilize rather than disturb disturb disturb dis dis- credit We e think your fears on this score are unwarranted you ou re realize realize realize re- re alize that in a majority of the agricultural agricultural agricultural tural districts of this state a n large percentage of last years year's taxes are still unpaid because the people haven't the money to pay them This is an unprecedented unprecedented unprecedented condition and Is rather alarmIng alarming alarming alarm alarm- ing and certainly lf It if relief can be found and confidence and stability secured secured se- se se secured cured we shall have gone a long lone way In the restoration of the general credit creditt of ot our state Upon this subject the president of the United States Stales recently said that when stability prosperity and confidence shall have been re restored restored restored re- re stored to agriculture we will have progressed far on the way to general r resumption of prosperous activity Mr Bailey was absent from the city today hence nothing could be obtained obtained obtained ob ob- ob- ob from him regarding the open letter other than detailed in his interview Interview interview inter Inter- view on the |