| Show DO YOU WANT TO DESTROY MINES aiom ball balt lake tribune Trib nm on the last day of the lisl list session of tho the utah legislature the following joint resolution for an amendment to 4 article 13 of the congiu aution of the suo relating te to the taxation of mines and mining property was put through both houses andr pressure without been referred to the tile committee on mines nd mining without a hearing and r e 1 scally without debate 11 11 t it by the legislature legli lature of 0 tha state ut U I 1 vt thord of all he the w WOM womb u 1 14 to tie two SWO houe con eon curing therein I 1 that it Is proposed to czi aind ind section i 4 arciclo 13 of the con lution of the elate of 0 utah botha 0 o tatt ahe he same will read ai follow follows section 4 all minei mines or mining claims both pifer and rock IL place shall be assessed at per acre and in addition thereto at a alue based upon colue eulile or plo PIC of net ann lial proceeds proceed thereof all other minei mines or mining claims and other othor i tal deports depo dep oIts alai Iq eluding landa landre containing coil co 0 or hydro hydra ifert shall bea sensed 1 at their nil oil value all machinery ased in 9 abild all prop arty or surface improvements or appurtenant to mints or mining claim claims aud the value of any surface ure use maile wide of mining clalra cl alrae or tufail ng property proper tJ for other than wining pur purposed posea shall be assessed at alil value the Th etaU j continued ora on page 81 8 M Q t do you want to acs destroy troy fr iines 11 ies from page 1 board of liall in ea e Is and an d tax all property herein provided that llie the assessment ases of V 1 00 per acre anil ant the assessment of the alue of 0 any use other than for mining pur pose ball shall be made be provided by law section 2 the secretary ot of tte 14 1 hereby directed tn to submit thi propped apropo ed amendment to the electors ot of the talf state att 1 t the next general a election in the man ner prescribed ly I 1 y law bertion 3 it adopted by the electors oththo late state this amendment shall take 21 january 1 1919 s at the coming november election ane voters of utah will be called to say hether this piece of illy considered and hastily constructed legis lation shall become a part of the tho 1 lp of odthe the state and the very existence of one of our most u important industries thereby be imperiled the mining companies are now as sensed on the full amount of their net proceeds on their surface around ground their improvements and in addition have an occupation vix of three percent per cent on their net proceeds it is now proposed to give the state board of equalization appointed by the governor and responsible to him only power to tax the mines at a value based on some multiple or sub multiple of the neb net annual proceeds thereof the adoption of amendment would mean that the power of taxation weald pass from the control of the regularly elected representatives of the people and become lodged in a body of men en independent of those who are supposed to rule in utah as welt well as in ail all the other state i the union the state board of t having ben duly recognized as the supreme authority would be in position to ia LC the mini ig companies out of existence or to allow them to go almost scot free and no appeal would lie against their decision in the premises should it be decided to to use some multiple multi pio or of the net annual proceeds thus fore forc ing thet nines to suspend operations the immediate effect would be to td paralyze the busine of f the whole state including the fauline farn inz industry much of the produce raised on the farms being consumed in the mining claps with the closed i down there would be no net proceeds tda to tax and the stale treasury would be empty inconsequence there is no possible excuse for this amendment if adopted it will not onla put the mining industry in jeopardy but will set a bad precedent as well if the mines are to be taxed in this manner it will not be long before the sugar industry will be taken in and then nil all the other im industries and we shall have a government bv of and for the state board of equalize equalization atlon so far as taxation is concerned the country is in the midst of a areat reat wa and the durden of taxation is falling heively upon every man and woman in the united states in some form under the revenue bill now before the lower house of congress business of all kinds la is to be taxed to the very limit the people of utah should frown upon any siny attempt to add to the present hardships and risk the ruin of one of the states great industries the amendment is vicious in principle and should be beaten |
