Graham guardian., 1899-02-03
TERRITORIAL SUPERVISORS.
Mines And Railroads Come In For an Am
pie Share of the NEUTRALITY-SUSPICIOUS.
John Montgomery of Coohise COun-
ty Evidently Strikes a Key Note.

=, ty Evidently Strikes a Key Note.
An interesting session of the ter
, ritorial supervisors was held in tht
Office of the supervisors of Mari
; copa county, at the court house
Tuesday, says the Gazette.
} The following counties were
represented; Apache, Mohave
coconino, Navajo, Pima, and
Marcopa.
! A communication from John
Montgomery, supervisor of Co
chise county, was read and prac-
tically furnished food for discus
sion the balance of the day. The
letter was dated from mbstone,
January Gath, and regretted the in
ability of the writer to be present
at the meeting. Mr.. Montgomery
inclosed a printed extract from
the governors message referring
to the fact that mines worth $780,
0OO,0oO are paying taxes on val
uation of all property, real and
personal, of only 100000.
Mr.. Montgomery in commenting
on the statement, said that it was
undoubtedly true. He cited the
fact that a rancher having 100
head of cattle but able to find only
100 of them is assessed $40 head
and pays taxes on valuation of
$1,000. A man with a town lot
and residence costing $4,000 is as.
sessed. 81 800. These men, says
Mr.. Montgomery in his letter, ask
the assessor the question: What
is the King Solomon mine assessed
at?"
"The assessor can only reply"
writes Mr., Montgomery, "that it
pays, say, S25,000-$500 for the
NINE and $24, 800 for the improve.
ments. The man with the town
lot then tells the assessor that the
King Solomon mine is paying a
right along amounting to
a million a year, which represents
big interest on capital of $780,
00,000-$19, 9,775,000 Of which es-
capes taxation.
"The same line of questions to a
degree applies to the assessment of
railroads in this territory. In my
opinion either private property
should be valued on the same basis
Is corporate property IS now,
.hus bringing the aggregate tax
'oll Of the counties Of the territory
iowr TO about Sl0,000,000, chang
ng the law so that enough tax can !
1e levied to run county govern I
nents; or, on the other hand, a I
valuation should be placed upon
properties on the same .
BASIS that private property is now ,
,alued, which would make an ag- i
sregate tax roll for the counties Of t
he territory Of something like |
$50 100000 instead Of S3l, 100000,
IS at present. l do not pretend to ,
1e able to construe law, but not +
Hithstanding the attorney gener. S
lPs construction of section 1857 Of {
he organic act | think it possible
he legislature can frame a bill
hat will enable super visors Of the :
several counties through which any Il
passes to meet at some
central point tor the purpose of
placing q valuation oD or assessing
such railroad, so that it will have ,
IN equitable valuation as between {
he counti~S j. crested; and where I
/ railroad 10 "nJlly IN one county,
lave it assessed in the same man
oor as other property. Then limit =,
he power of the territorial board
% equaIize only, and prohibit it l
rom varying the aggregate assess
nent Of tha railroads of the ter. :
'itory more than, say, 2 per cent. /
"The principle underlying the
erritorial board Of equalization |
eems all right enough, but the re /
ult of its isbors has been TO the .
injury of the private taxpayer and {
he benefit of railroads. If the C.
'wcntleth legislative assembly can
give us an eqitable tax law 1t will
ave the thanks of all those who =,
)ay taxes now en- full values" G
Mr.. Montgomery also suggested S
hat no sheriff should be ex otiiclo c
assessor, and recited their expert I
'nce in Choise county, as leading !
. this conclusion. He also recon
that no recorder or any |