Arizona weekly journal-miner., 1903-01-28
A LEGISLATIVE PROBLEM.

| SHOulu give all dCllNt SuppOIb lo thS recommendation of Governor Brodie to have the law changed in reference to filing of articles of incorporation. It is matter of justice to the terri tory as well as matter of self protec- toin to the business of the newspapers.
 The territorial secretary not only de- rives a revenue of from S3O, 600 to S50, . 900 per year from this business which is entirely out of all proportion .to the responsibility and labor con nected with it but he has fixed the price for their publication at figure away below their real value.
 While demanding sl0 or S20 for act ing as agent of corporations. doing business outside of the territory, and which involves neither labor or eX- pense. there being absolutely nothing to do as such agent in ninety nine cases out of a hundred, he advises all seeking to incorporate that the price of publication is S15. The secretary is looking for the long end of the busi- ness, and has shown a disposition to deprive the newspapers of their just dues for the publication of such mo- tices. This feature, however, of the proposed change in the law is of minor importance the real salient point about the suggestion being the divert ing of the fees into the territorial treasury. In addition to the fees pro- vided for at present a slight addi- tionaI fee should be required also, as there is no good and valid reason why these companies which take advantage of our liberal laws to incorporate should not help bear the burdens of expense of the territory.
 Right in line with this is another suggestion of Governor Brodie which is an excellent one. That is that off cials be paid salaries and all fees be turned into the treasury. The secre- tary of the territory receives a salary of Sl, 800 from the general govern ment. An increase of this, of from s700 to s1. 200 by the territory making fixed salary of from g. 800 to 8, GOO. with reasonable appropriation for an assistant, the general government already providing something for assis- tance, would make ample compensa- tion for the position. This would be even more than is paid by many states. Then let all the fees be paid into the territorial treasury.
 With the present high rate of tax ation and the shirking of taxation by large corporations, something is abso lutely necessary to be done. Is the present legislature capable of grap- bling successfully with this question and of solving it for the benefit of the tax payers, and without doing injus- tice to any?
 Since the above was in type the Journal Miner has received by to- days mail from the south the follow luR HUH lnC cCNlt- tary of the territory:
 Enclosed find copy of articles of incorporation of the New York-Ari- zona Mining company. If s15, which is the price charged for such publica- tions by the papers here, will be sat isfactory to you for the publicatio of these articles, kindly have the pub lication made in your paper and send me affidavit thereof and your bill which will be immediately paid.''
 Very respectfully,
 ISAAC T. STODDARD.
 Secretary of Arizona.
 The aforesaid articles. referred to in the letter. would fill a space of from twenty-five to. thirty inches of the paper, and the price offered, which is fixed by the secretary would bankrupt any paper, which depended upon legitimate patronage for sup port. Papers which are being pub lished for fun, regardless of cost can nO uOuDl dllOIu lO dCCcpl SuCu busl- ness. The secretary's fees in connec- tion with the filing, and recording of the above, which will occupy probably an hours time, of one of his clerks will amount to from Sl2 to Sl4, with probable fee of Sl0 or S20 more, for acting as agent one year, while for putting it in type, publishing it six insertions in the paper and making an affidavit of publication, the notary fees of which are seventy five cents. the munificient sum of S15 is offered.
 The Journal Miner wants all the business it can get. but wants fair re- muneration. Phenix papers seem to have accepted the fiat of the secretary that s15 shall be the maximum price paid for publication of articles, but the Journal Miner is not prepared to do so. By all means let the legisla- ture break up this articles of incopora- tion trust and reduce the salary of sec retary to a price more commensurate with the duties of the office.