Los Angeles herald., 1891-10-23
HON. TOM GATES.
AN ARIZONA NOTABLE TALKS
ABOUT THE TERRITORY.
He Tells About the Constitutional Con-
vention What Statehood viii Cost.
The Taxation Proposition.

Hon. "Tom" Gates, of Yuma, Ariz.,
late superintendent of the territorial
penitentiary, came into Los Angeles last
Wednesday evening. Mr.. Gates repre-
sented Yuma county in the late consti-
tutional convention of Arizona, which
was in session from September 9TH to
October 25th, and is now resting from
the labors imposed upon him by that
body. To HERALD reporter he sal id
last evening:
s'The constitutional convention of
Arizona has adjourned after preparing
what think is compact and concise
organic law, suited to the needs of Ari-
zona. Our constitution will differ from
that of most of the states in many par
ticulars. We will have three supreme
and three district judges; the legisla-
ture will consist of twelve senators and
twenty representatives there will be no
ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS. What we have
aimed at is economical and yet
effective government machinery. I was
a member of the revenue and taxation
committee, and became familiar with
some details of the expense of carrying
on the government on which very few
are posted.
t'Now, it will cost us only about
$45, 900 more to run the state machinery
than the territorial, and, insignificant
as this sum is, there are many to whom
it is stumbling block. The total debt
of the NEUTRALITY-SUSPICIOUS. county and
municipal-is about "a. 100000. We have
set apart one mill on the 500 of terri
torial (let us call it state now) assess
ments and one-half mill on county
assessments to liquidate this debt. That
gives US gilt-edged credit. Arizona has
as good school system as any state in
the Union, but it all comes from direct
taxation. We have about 100000
acres of school lands, much of which is
timber and Salt River valley lands,
which will sell for from $5 to $25 per
acre. This will relieve our people from
great deal OF direct taxation.
"If the general government does as
well by us as it has to the recently Gre
ated states we will receive five per cent.
of the proceeds of government land
sales. This will also diminish our taxa
ton for running the state.
81 think there are only three states
New York, Alabama and North Da-
kota-which can submit a constitutional
aiueuUIneuG I'd LH0 ptOpl6 ny SlIHpio
majority vote. This we have adopted
also.
"There is little doubt in my mind that
this instrument will be adopted. OF
course, we have few moss-backs in
Arizona-people who would rather see
Texas steer on every 100 acres of land
than to see a couple of families on every
quarter section. These people, together
with some few would-be monopolists,
will naturally oppose statehood. But
they are hopelessly in the minority, and
are rapidly losing ground and influence.
"Will Arizona be admitted as state?
Yes, think it will. The silver senators
will all be in favor of it, for obvious
reasons; and after the presidential can
vass is disposed of there is little question
but Arizona's knock will be answered
with cordial welcome. Then we have
more wealth and population than many
of the new aedglings, and there is abso-
lutely no reason why we should not start
out on our own hook"
Mr.. Gates returns to Yuma Sunday
evening.