Arizona weekly enterprise., 1890-06-28
VETOED.
MARICOPA RAILROAD SUBSIDY BULL. DIsAPPROVED.
The President Offers Many objections to the Measure aud Evidently thinks
 Job is in It.

 ton of certain railroad.
 He says the bill seems to have pass ed the House under misapprehension of its true scope and effect. In the report of the Committee on Territo- ries it is said that by the terms of the bill the county receives bonds in pay ment of the money proposed to be ad- vanced.
 In fact, the bill did not provide for the loan to be secured by bonds, but for the subscription of stock. How far this mistake may have affected the passage of the bill of course cannot be known.
 The bill does not submit the ques- ton granting aid to the vote of the people of the county, but confers di- rect authority upon the Supervisors to issue the bonds.
 It is said however, that in April, 1888, an election was held to obtain the views of the people upon the question. It does not appear from any paper submitted to me who were the managers of this so-called election, what notice, if any, was given, what qualifications on the part of the voters were insisted upon, if any, or in what form the question was presented.
 There was no law providing for such an election. Being wholly vol untary, the election was, of course, under the management of those who favor the subsidy and was conducted without any legal restraints as to voting or certification.
 1 have asked for statement of the vote by precincts and have been given what purports to be the vote at twelve points. The total affirmative vote given was l795 and negative l34, but of the affirmative vote l543 were at Phenix and l8S at town very near Phenix.
 If there were no other objections to the bill I should deem this alone suf- ficient that no provision is made for submission the to vote of the people at an election after due notice and under sanction of law the question as to whether this subscription shall be
 made.
 But, again, the bill proposes to sus- pend for this case the provision of the act of July 30, 1865, forbidding muni-
 cipal corporations from subscribing to
 stocks and loaning credit to other cor porations, from creating debt in ex-
 cess of four per cent of the taxable
 property at the last assessment.
 This law was intended to give the
 people of the Territory that protection
 against oppressive municipal debts
 which was secured to the people oi
 most of the States by constitutional
 limitation. The wisdom of the legis
 lation is not contested by the frier di
 of this bill, but they claim that the
 circumstances are so peculiar as tc
 justify an exception. I do not think
 so. Only belief that the limit is in
 flexible will promote care and economy
 in the administration of the law.
 Maricopa county Is one of great
 extent and this great area is to be
 taxed to construct road which car in the nature of things be of advan
 tage to but fraction of it.
 There is no unity of interest ol equality of advantage It may very
 well be that the sections of these
 lands along the line of the road es
 pecially town lots in Phenix, would
 have added value much greater thar the increased burden imposed, but i
 .--1----tfy crrur -vrTuu IItICn property in the country will receive no appre
 ciable benefits.
 The existing bonded indebtedness | fu ia x070 L
 tax assessment about five million dol lars and the population is estimated at about ten thousand.
 It will be seen that the bonded debt, to say nothing of the hoatin, debt, which is said to be small, is al
 ready largely in excess of the limit and it is proposed to increase it by subscription that will certainly in volve $2OO, 600 and probably $25O, ,OOC If the bill becomes li W the bonde, indebtedness will very closely approx innate ten per cent of the assesse, value of the property of the coun ty.
 The condition of things in tn county of Yavapai. lying immediatel north of Maricopa, and through whic this road is also to run, while nc directly affected by this Legislation is very instructive ill this connet ; tion.
 By an act of the legislature of Ar
 zona, passed year before last, the ae
 of Congress to which I have referred
 Yavapal county was authorized { t subscribe $4,OOO per mile to this lin + of road. The total length of the roa
 in the county was l47 miles and "A t T Prescott have been constructed. :, The Secretary of the Territor r states the debt of Yavapai county 8 0 $763,OOO and the assessmeu l. between six and seven million dollar j. There are thirteen miles of road ye I to be built from the present terminu e Prescott to the south line of the cour ] ty, for which Yavapai county mu. l. make further issue of bonds to tn - extent of $292 GOO, making a count y debt of 1855, 900, or about thirtee n per cent upon the taxable asses e Inent.
 h Taking that at $6,5OO,OOO and tn !, per capita county debt will be nearl e $o5, taking the population at abou n l0,6OO as stated in reports to tn e Senate committee. Surely no or n will insist that the true and permal }, ent prosperity of these cemmupitit n will be promoted by loading the Il energies and their industries wit
 this great debt
 feel the force of the suggestio
 that the freight charges now impose It upon the farm and orchard produc > Of Maricopa county by the railroa n now in operation are oppressive, br : the bill does not afford much reli, l, even in that direction.
 g There would be but one competir e point, viz, Phenix. At all other poin l. on the proposed road the people wopl y be subject tQ the exacting of i4 T. such rates as are demanded by oth, T. lines.
 n Ii the bill contained some effecti, d provision to secure reasonable freigl 't rates to those people who are to B. taxed to build the road, it would z y tar to secure my favorable conslde r. ation.
 A. have carefully examined the T
 D0rts that hava haop s,,bro;tta1 ,