Arizona silver belt., 1891-02-07
TERRITORIAL FINANCES

The indebtedness of the Territory, counties and municipalities of Arizona is S3, 427, ,000, and yet there are per sons, for private ends, who would add to the burden of taxpayers by assum- ing statehood, thereby forfeiting the annual liberal allowance of the Federal government to prevent us from being wholly pauperized. As matters now stand, we find in the Auditors report that the sum necessary to meet the cur rent expenses of the Territory and the payment of interest for the years 1891 and 1899, is placed at S356, 500 That sum does not include any portion of the requirements for county and munic- ipal purposes, which at low estimate may be stated, in round numbers, at S1, 200, 900 additional for the two years, if not increased by reckless legislation during the present session of the legis- lature, which it is likely to do by hand icapping the taxpayers with the ques- ton of statehood.
 Auditor Hughes in his biennial TO- port to Governor Irwin shows the stead- ily increasing indebtedness of the Ter ritory, and suggests to meet outstand- ing warrants (S124, ,442. 19) that tax be levied and collected from every per son, firm, company or association of persons pursuing any of the follow ing occupations, for Territorial pur- poses:
 Merchants, bankers, money bro kers, stock brokers, note shavers, etc, commission merchants, land or other agents, pawn brokers, foot peddlers, sewing machine and other canvassers, auetioneers, liquor dealers, both whole sale and retail, rectifers, brewers, dis tlllers, manufacturers of soda and min eral water, gas companies, water works, custom reduction works, mills, tanner ies, gambling tables or devices, bil- hards, pigeon hole or other tables, con ducted for profit or in connection with saloons, shooting galleries, ten pin alleys, hobby horses, or other devices conducted for profit, theaters, concerts, circuses and shows or other amusements conducted for profit, fortune tellers, claivoyants, pool selling, butchers, livery and feed stables, photograph and daguerrean establishments, printing of fees, practieing lawyers, physicians and dentists.
 "The license of retail liquor business and gambling should be placed at high figure as these occupations are the cause of most of the expense incurred by the administration of our laws
 "That there be collected from every life, fire and marine insurance compa- ny in the Territory an annual tax of S250; from every express company an annual tax of S750, and from every railroad, stage or steamboat company to be collected quarterly l per cent. upon their gross receipts from their passenger travel within the Territory; from telegraph companies to be col lected one cent for each message sent, to be paid quarterly.
 That some provision be made by law whereby lands for which U. S. patent has been issued be not assessed at less valuation than s125 per acre aside from the improvements thereon.
 That Territorial tax of one per cent. be levied upon the net proceeds of mines
 That toll of , per cent be col leoted on every consignment of freight shipped or received by rail in the Ter ritory"
 And what will this amount to if leg islators are prodigal of other peoples money? The misery entailed by ex- cessive tax is portrayed in the delin- quent lists.
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