Arizona republican., 1899-01-18

property taxed were assessed and properly val ued, the rate of taxation would be low CT here than in majority of the most prosperous states.
 Assessors should be appointed or elected, men of ability and force of character, to assess property. They should be given ample time and be lib- erally compensated. The practice of copying the old lists and books year af- ter year and never actually assessing, is reprehensiDle. There are many re- forms necessary in our system of the assessment and collection of taxes and revenue provisions which should re- ceive attention from you, and I recom- mend that you investigate the matter thoroughly. Should you correct the defects in our revenue system, and nothing more, you will serve your con stituents we'll
 BOARD OF CONTROL
 The board of control was created by Ac. No. 19 of the Eighteenth legisla ture, and consists of the governor, au- ditor and citizen member of the Op- posite political. party from the gover- nor.
 The act creating the board, and the amendments thereto, define its powers and duties and abolishes the board of prison commissioners and insane asy- lum and reform school directors, con- ferring the powers previously exercised by those commissioners and boards upon the board of control. The law also gives authority to the board to lease buildings and lands belonging to the territory and execute contracts for the employment of convict labor; and by Act No. 56 of the Nineteenth legisla- t1Ir hp is a claims against the territory.
 With some amendments to the act, limiting the powers of the beard and providing for a different membership, I believe the law wise and economical. Certainly a beard of three men can operate more economically than can three boards of three men each; which opinion is vindicated by the report of the secretary of the board herewith. l question the propTiety, if not the right, of the legislature to impose onerous duties upon the executive, for which he can receive no compensation. As governor, my duties are such as to make it impossible for me to give the time and attention to the work of the board of control that should be given by an active member, and the same is true of the territorial auditor As the business and population of the territory increase the duties of the officers be come more arduous. This is especially true of the auditor. He does not now receive sufficient com pensation, nor is proper provision made, in my judgment, for his clerical and other necessary office eX- penses. He is now required to finally audit and pay claims against the terri tory, and is responsible upon his bond, under the law. The governor counter signs all warrants authorized to be is sued by the board, and cannot give the business of the board his time and at tention. I therefore recommend that the law be so amended a5 to relieve the governor and auditor from membership on the board, and that the governor be authorized to appoint three members from the citizens of the territory, two of the same political party, and the other, as is now authorized by law. With the act thus amended, the powers of the board modified and restricted so as to conform practically to the laws governing the original prison cOmmis sioners, insane asylum and reform school directors, I recommend its con tinuance.
 REVISION AND CODIFICATION OF
 THE LAWS.
 As many ambiguities and defects eX- ist in the statutes of the territory, and as the laws are not sufficiently homo geneous as at present complied I rec ommend that . code commission be authorized, non-partiSan in character, to consist of three attorneys learned in the law, whose duty shall be to codify and revise the laws of Arizona and re- port the results of their labors to the next or eDty-first session of the ter ritorial legislature; and I further rec ommend that said commission be au- thOrized to employ a clerk to assist in the work of revision. The commission to be governed by such limitations and restrictions as to compensation, clerk hire and other expenses as your honor able body shall see fit to impose.
 AMENDMENTS TO THE ELECTION
 LAWS.
 It is contended, and I think properly, that our present election laws are too loosely drawn, and that it is possible to defeat the will of the people with comparatively little danger of detec- tion and punishment. The system now in force undoubtedly invites fraud and should be amended. Voters should, in my judgment, be required to register and vote in the precinct where they re- side and the great register should show precinct registration. Voters should be required to live in a precinct at least thirty days next preceding an election, before being qualified to vote thereat. Transfers should not be per mitted later than ten days next pre- ceding an election. The law should provide for registration days" not to exceed three, and places of registration should be designated in each precinct and the proper registering officers pro vided. The form of ballot should be improved and misleading vignettes not allowed.
 These changes in the law appear to me important and necessary; no doubt there are others equally important which may occur to you. Every protec- la