Arizona republican., 1903-03-04
'HoENIX, ARIZONA. MARCH f. 1909.
For the Legislature to Consider.

Before the legislature takes action on the bill to divert to the territorial treasury the fees now running to the secretary of the territory it might be we'll to recall the story of the goose that laid golden eggs. It will be remembered that the countryman who owned the goose was not satisfied with receiving an egg of gold at intervals and slew the goose, hoping to make a killing" in more senses than one. There were no more golden eggs.
 We are informed by the recorders office of Maricopa county that the monthly income of this county from fees for recording articles of incorpora- ton will approximate S7O0, or about eight thousand, five hundred dollars year. The income of other counties from this same source is not large but it is very considerable. In the aggre- gate the counties of the territory gain many thousands of dollars a year be- cause of Secretary Stoddards activity
 
 formation of corpora tions under Ari- zona's laws. If the legislature under takes to destroy the business which the secretary has built up, and the secre- tary decides to question the validity of the new law, one certain and inlmedi- ate result, as a matter of course, will be that the people throughout the coun- try who are taking advantage Of cur liberal laws to form corporations will go elsewhere to accomplish their ob- jects until it is definitely settled by the courts whether the legislature had the power under the pending bill to take the secretary's fees away. As a natural se- quence, the counties which now reap rich income from the incorporation business will suffer direct and serious loss; and meantime the treasury of the territory will not be the gainer.
 And supposing it finally settled that the legislature did not exceed it's au- thcrity, the practical question arises whether the official whose duty it be- comes to collect these fees and turu them into the public treasury will feel called upon to go the lengths to which Secretary Stoddard has gone in devel- oping the business. It is obvious that to maintain the income at it's present high volume somebody must work with great persistence in keeping the details of 1a hot he i-, cooperating public.
 These suggestions are made in a cold -blooded view of the practical ef- fects which may possibly follow the en- actment of the legislation proposed, and they are certainly worthy of serious consideration.
 A collateral fact which will not es- cape the consideration Of conscientious legislators is, that much of the clanlor for drastic legislation against the sec retary comes from motives in which envy plays a large part. Very cun- ningly the impression is industriously fostered that somehow or for some req son MT. Stoddard is doing something dishonorable or discreditable in ac- cepting the fees which the laws plainly and specifically give him. Doubtless some honest legislators believe that in aiming legislation at MT. Stoddard they are dealing with quasi-public enemy. And yet the politicians in Arizona who would not gladly step into the secre- fa,-x --e cto l l,.o re- doing in making the most of his office are very few.