Arizona weekly citizen., 1891-01-24

to ArlZOna NarrOW OduSe hdllIOdo Company, as follows: July l, 1883, S5O, coo; June 90, 1884, S50,000; August 9. 1884. S50,C9. tall can be funded.
 The above igures do not include in terest except as to the county CT Gra- ham.
 The indebtedness of the incorporated cities of the territory bonded and float irg, as follows:
 CITY. COUNTY. BONDED. Fire. MUTTON Phanix, Maricora. S4O,OOO sl2es9 s1 .5I7, !28 Prescott, laEspai, al,Oe9 la,01g so5'od0 SoS'od0 Tuosoa. Pima 2S9e 97 7issl fld l'sSt9 sSi 9SS
 To the above figures the interest on county indebtedness for the present year should be added, also an estimated school debt of S40OO0 Interest on county and city debts, S194,130.
 By the fregoing statements the entire indebtedness of Arizona, Territorial, County, Municipal and School may be very closely approXlmated at S3,42I,OO0
 This amount of indebtedness, with the property valuation of S2,050,234.13, as reported by the territorial Board of Equalization, does not present very fiattering showing, although the same IS misleading to a certain extent, and Is attributable in a material degree to the present system of assessing property for taxation, to which l invite your aLten- tion. as being a very important subject for legislation. The actual property valuation of the territory amounts, IL my judgment, to fully S70,00O,OO0. It IS notorious that the practice prevails among tax payers to not state to the assessor the full amount of their taxable property, and they th1s evade bearing their proper proportion of the expenses of government, which there seems to be no adeauate regulation in force to pre- vent such evasion, and ln this respect the assessment system should certainly be corrected. The argument is frequent IY heard. "I do not propose to state all of my property, because my nelghhor fails to state all of his. and l do not intend to bear more than my share of the burdens of government" If possible way should be diyesed 10 secure fair assessment of All the property in the territory, and 1t is concealed. notwithstanding our heavy indebtedness that, if all our property were assessed, and at its full value, the rate of taxation would be lower than in many of the prosperous states.
 The average rate of taxation through out the Territory for all purposes is ? 93-lO0 on the Sl0000. While We are confronted with the anomaly of having a lower property valuation than We had several years ago, yet the territory Is admittedly richer and more prosperous than ever before, with all of our inter ests. agricultural, inning, grazing asd otherwise of commercial nature, stead iIy advancing. This anamoly is assured ly the fault of our revenue system, ana is very injurious in its effects, especially so in connection with immigration and our good name abroad. The expense of conducting Territorial and county af- fairs has increased as a result of advRn- ced Territorial interests, and consequent increased public business, yet no pro- vision has been made for meeting these expenses by increasing the revenues, and therein the principal inconsistency exists, which is chargeable to the rev. enue system, and must be cured. The Territory is in reality progressing in wealth and people, yet this is not appar ent upon the books. It is absolutely necessary to either reduce the expenses of government, CT increase the revenue. to preyept serious financial complIca- tio1s. I believe that the expense of conducting Territorial affairs may well be lessened, and am also confident that the revenues of the Territory can be made sufficient to meet all proper requirements without necessarily in ereasing taxation. In the first place all property in the Territory should be as- sessed. No class of property should be allowed to escape bearing It's equitable proportion of the expenses of govern ment.