Arizona weekly citizen., 1888-06-16
Assessing Stock Cattle.

Arguments why lower Tate of assess mept than twelve dollars Der head be placed on cattle Tn Ariz Jna by the Ter ritorial Board of E4asliE ,tIon for the ensuing year. The a. gum .nts advanced In favor of such redu suons are few and simple, and such ss cannot oe contro- verted. The reasons way the stock men of ArlzJna believe tnst the present Tate Of q ses,msnt IS too hlgh art: u) lnst taken all around ssook itsle are selling for less than twelve dollars per head 10 all parts of the terrItory: @ That the assessn nt Of twelve dolssss ysr head Is one made and established on live stock values ot bv years s.c, wapn the csttIr ous nrss was in far uoTe prosperous condition than st prescott. NJ one Hc- qusInted with the Cattle business of Ari- zOls for the past few years Can fail to ro rocognizs tae justice of ,he stockmeu's demsnd ID thIs connection, or the loz'c ot their arguments in support of the same. In addition to the two reasons for a reduction ID the assessment of cat tle th-re Is another one that stockmen, and-r the laws o. the territory, are re- luIred to pay B special and additions tax oD theIr property, which no other
 
 called on to do. Under the methods of taxation at present in vogue in this Territory, 6 dollIr invested in cattle IS tsIed hiCher than 6 dollar invested in any other line of business. Why this outrageous mode of levyiDg taxes should ever have been adopted, why stockmen should be thus required to con tribute more largely to the tax fund than any other clRse IS hard to conceive. Pay ing as they already do nearly three .Ourths Of the tsxss collected in the Ter ritory, exclusive of that received from railroads, there was no excuse for the imposition of this additional burden of taxation. IL Is most sssurediy though a good and sufficient reason why the claim now msde for the stockman that a lower rate of assessment be impAsed upon cattle should be granted. The Terri torIsl Board of Equalization now in ses- sion in Prescott, bsye the power, if they SO desire, to do justice to the stockmen of | Arizona to the extent of assessing their cattle at 6 more reasonable rate than twelve dollars Der head. As far mind ed and unpreiudiced men they should take into consideration all the circum- stances connected with the matter, aud | act accordingly. l. t them recognize the fact that In the past Bs well a- ID the present, 1t has been the stockmen Of the Territory who more than any other class have psid the great bulk of the tsxes collected in the Territary. while as ( lass they have received les m return ULder the special cattle tax alone, thert nas been collected during tha last ye5i In the counties If MohAve. YayRpRi and Apache from the csttlemen more money than has been paid during the ssm' period in the way of taxes by the Allan
 tic < Pscifis Rsilrosd-one of tue larg a
 corporations in the nation. Justice ana right alike demand tbs,such iulu tice Al
 ms should cea-e. and there IS certalnl, 10 better place where a 'eformstion cai | De iosugurst- d than m ihe office and a
 he present session If She Territo-i7
 Board O. Equs zation if iheimsmh-rs 2
 such hoard nave the iuclInsiion a'd back
 ,1ue io heed the righteous reque-i- 0
 ne stockmsu of Arg ,Da for fHirer an'
 us.er rrra' 'meDt 10 he ta'u-s than I.
 ,e-u accorded tB, m in the past-h q
 Horn.