Albuquerque weekly citizen. (Albuquerque, N.M.) 1891-19??, 1903-02-07
ARIZONA LEGISLATORS.
They are Lined Up for an Extc nded
Fight on Three Measures.

ft3nt on Three Measures.
The early part of the session of the
Twenty-second legislative assembly OF
Arizona has not been active In actual
Legislation. bc. has been given to the
formation Of certain bills to be intro
duced later In the session. which, II
passed, viii make this convention of
law Llakers the most notable in the
histoy of the territory. says teie.
gram from Phoenix. Arizona.
Among ether important measures
there win come up for consideration a
bullion tax Bill. an ant!-sheep bill. and
an equal suffrage bill, either one OF
which will furnish sufficient ammuni-
ton [, bring down the mot bitter war.
fare that has ever been witLc sed in
Arizona l"~icletlve channels The
pl posed tax On the bullion Of estab.
lishal mines VIII Involve the most i'm
portant financial interests fl the ter
rito.y but Tie 3ght between the cat.
tie an sheepmen will be the most
bitter. The Legislators representing
those two interests are opponents of
beligerent factions which att mpt TO
leglslate, but which in the settlement
of their affairs more frequently resort
to the rife or shotgun.
The cattlemen have some very seri-
| Gus grievances against the sheepmen
and their representatives will intro
duce bill calculated to prevent the
demolition of certain cattle ranges by
| the sheep. Several counties are in.
tensely interested in this legislation. II
Is claimed that on account of the mi
grations of the sheep at regular sea.
sons certain counties are cheated OF e
tax on the 1ocks.
The sheep industry has grown so
lucrative in the past few years that
some of the cattlemen have gone into
| the sheep business, and II this contin-
ues the cattle and sheep interests may
grow harmonious in the natural order
OF things.
A majority of cattlemen contend
however, that they will not allow
themselves to be literally driven out
of business in domain that Is theirs,
they claim. by right OF prior occupan-
cy. and the sheepmen will fight to the
last trench on the theory that between
the two industries the wool growers
vival of the fittest.
BY far the most important legisla.
ton in view Is the proposed enactment
OF the law creating a tax on the bullion
of the producing mines of Arizona
Friends OF this measure announce
that they have no intention OF work
ing a hardship in the development and
operation of prospects and new mines,
but they cannot blind themselves to
the fact that the big mines OF Arizona
are paying inadequate taxes. These
mines have been assessed hitherto up
on the value OF their improvements.
while the thousands of dollars annual
ly. and sometimes daily. taken from
them, have not figured In the value of
the property nor in the assets of the
corporation so far as the assessor is
concerned
The governors message ON this sub
ject said:
"A tax such as this, imposed upon
the output OF producing mines, would
add materially to the revenue Of the
territory; would greatly reduce the
rate OF taxation, and would allay the
feeling of those engaged in other pur.
salts besides mining that they are
bearing more than their share OF the
expense OF maintaining the govern
ment under which they pursue their
different vacations In an endeavor TO
better their conditions"