The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1890-06-21
"A VETO MESSAGE.
Some Good Reasons fox Forbid.
ding Aid to a Railroad.
A DEPARTURE IN POSTAL POLICY
An Important Move in the Direction of Subsi
dies-The Diplomatic ApprODria-
ton Bill.

rison to day returned to the House With
out approval the bill to authorize the board
of supervisors of Moricopa county, Arl-
IONA, TO issue county bonds at the rate OF
81, 900 per mile in view of the construction
OF certain railroad. He says: 1.-The bill
seems to have passed the House under
misapprehension of its true scope and eff
feet. In the report of the committee on
territories it is said that by the terms OF
the bill the county reserves the bonds III
payment 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
a subScrip tion of stock. How Tar this mis-
take may have affected the passage
of the bill of course canhot lie
known. The bill does not SUB
NIT the question OF granting AID
to vote of the people of the county or con
fer direct authority upon the supervisors
to issue bonds. 1t is said, however, IN
April, 1889, an election was held to obtain
the views of the people upon the question
1t does not appear from any paper SUD
mitted to the committee who the managers
of the so called election were; what notlce,
| if any, was given: what quallhcatlonS on
| the part of voters were insisted upon, II
any, or in what form the question was pre-
| sented There was no law providing Tor
|
untary. The election of course was under
the management of those who favored the
| subsidy and was conducted without any
| legal restraint as to voting or certlhcatlon.
81 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 1,795, and the negative vote
1874, but of the affirmative vote
1,543 were at Phoenix and 1SS at town
very near Phoenix. If there were no otner
objections to the bill, should deem this
| alone sufficient, that no provision is made
| for submitting to vote of the people at an
election after due notice and under the
sanction of law the question whether this
subscription shall be made. The condition
of things in the county of Yavapai living
Immediately north of Maricopa and through
which this road is also to run, while not
directly affected by this legislation, is very
instructive in this connection by an act of
the legislature of Arizona passed the wear
before last.
''But again the bill proposes to suspend
for this case the provisions of the act of
July 80, 1866, forbidding municipal corpor-
ations subscribing to the stock or loaning
| their credit to other corporations. Also
forbidding corporation, creating debt in
excess of per cent. of the taxable prop
j. erty at the last assessment. This law was
intended to give the PEOPLE of the territor
les that protection against oppressive
municipal debts, which was secured to the
people of most of most of the states by con-
stitutional limitations. The wisdom of this
legislation was not contested by the friends
of the bill, but they claim the circum-
, stances are so peculiar as to Justify
, the exception. | do not think So
J Only belief that the limit is inflexible
will promote care and economy in admins
| tration. Maricopa county is one of great
extent, and this great area is to be taxed to
, construct road which can in the nature
of things be of advantage to but a fraction
of it. There is no unity or advantage. 1t
} may very well be that a section of these
l lands along the line of the road, especially
} town lots in Phoenix, would have added
| a value much greater than the increase
, burden imposed But it is equally
: clear that much property in the county
: will receive no appreciate benefits. The
i existing bonded Indebtedness of Maricopa
county is S272, 900, the assessment about
five hundred thousand dollars; and the
population estimate about twelve thousand
1t will be seen that the bonded debt, to say
nothing of the floating debt, which is Sale
e to be small, is already largely in excess Of
the legal limit, and it is proposed to in
crease it by subscription that will Ger
I tainly involve 5000, 900 and probably, $3.50,
= OOO If the bill becomes law the bonded in
. debtedness will very closely approximat,
a 10 per cent. of the assessed valuation of tn,
y property of the county.
v BY the act of Congress to which
a l have referred, Yavapai county wa:
\. authorized to subscribe $4,000 per mile t.
Il this line of road. The total length of roa,
1t in this county was 141 miles and SEVENTY
r four to Prescott had been constructed
3 The government of the territor,
states the debt of Yavapai county a
> 1858 900 and the assessment between 81,
Ii and seven hundred thousand. There ar
lie seventy three miles of road yet to be bull
1t from Prescott to the south line of tn
ID county for which Yavapie county mus
t, make further issue of bonds of S292. OOC
e making a county debt of 1855 900 or abou
10 Il per cent upon the taxable property tai,
e, ing that at $3.50, 600 and per capita count
d debt of nearly eighty-tive dollars, takin
IS the population at about ten Thousand ST
"a hundred as stated in the report of th
% Senate committee. Surely no one will in
If sist that the true and permanent pros
If perity of these communities will be prc
NOTED by loading their energies and thei
k industries with this debt. l feel the fore
Is of the suggestion that the freigh
s. charges now imposed upon the farm an
" orchard products of MaricOpa count
/ by the railroad now in operation ar
s. oppressive But this bill does not affor
1f much relief. Even IL that direction Their
would be but one competing point, viz
D. Phoenix. AT all other points than the on
i proposed road the people would be subjeC
is to the exactlon of just such rates as al
lie demanded by the other lines. If this COZ
S. tanned some effective provision to secur
n reasonable freight rates to those peopl
ID who are to be taxed to build the road.
e would go far to secure my favorable COZ
)t sheraton
N Il have carefully examined the commi
n tees and every argument that has bee
er submitted to me by friends of the BILL bl
y cannot bring myself to believe the pei
IF manent welfare OF the communities affecte
id by it will BID promoted by its passage"
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