Bisbee daily review., 1905-08-20
HANDED COCHlSE A BIG BUNCH.

HANDED COCHiSE
 A BIG BUNCH.
 The territorial board of equalization has completed it's work so far as fix ing the valuation on which the mining property of the territory shall pay tax es is concerned. According to reports received from Phoenix the assess ments of mining property in several counties of the territory was raised by the equalization board from one hundred per cent to fifteen hundred per cent. Beginning with Ysvapai a raise was made in the assessments of mines in that county of 100 per cent; ending with Cochise county, the raise in the mining assessment was 1,500 per cent. The mining assessments in other counties were raised as follows: Graham, 400 per cent; Mohave, 400 per cent; Gila, 400 per cent; Pima, 400 per cent; Santa Cruz, 800 per cent and Yuma, 500 per cent This increase ap- plies to all patent mining claims wherever located, whether they have ever produced a dollar for the owner or not. We consider the action of the board as arbitrary and outrageous, es- pecially in it's results in Cochise coun- ty. There is no equality in the action of the board and there is no justice in it.
 Aetording ta. the action of the board every patented rnlne fn cochise counr ty must pay taxes on Q valuation of S12,00O. There are some mines in Co chise county worth a good deal more than s12,OOO, or they have been to their owners, but there are hundreds of pat ented claims in the county which will be practically confscated by the terri tory, if they are called on to pay the tax on a s12,0OO valuation. In the northern portion of Cochise county are many patented mines in the vicinity of Pearce, Dos Cabezaz and other places where the owners have strug- gled for years trying to develop them to a point when capital could be in duced to take hold and help take out and reduce the riches which indica- tions point to; to pay tax on these claims at a valuation of s12,000 each will be a virtual confscation. There are many men in Arizona who own patented mining claims who work in the mines and at other callings to get means to do a little development work from year to year in the hope and be lief that they will some day uncover the coveted treasure.
 In this country all patented claims are assessed at a flat rate, producing mines at $37.50 per acre and non-pro ducing mines at s25. The fifteen hun dred per cent raise applies to al these alike. How can such an assess ment be invoked in the name of equa taxation is beyond comprehension.
 Lands in Arizona for which our cit izens hold a patent are assessed at fiat rate per acre, according to its i'm provement. Why should mineral landi be assessed on a different basis?
 But what strikes us as the yer! apex Of outrage in this whole busi ness is the treatment which has beel accorded to Cochise by this ONE NARROWER board of equalization This county is made the butt of tn attack of Gov. Kibbey on the minin industry of the territory Laying O the border line adjoining the ricl mineral country in Sonora, a tax put on the mining industry three time greater than any other county wi have to pay; the result will be to dii courage the prospector and make hard to get capital to invest in tn mines of this county, when Mexic extends a welcome to all who desir to go to that country and take up mil ing claims and pay very low ia annually, and even this low tax ha recently been materially reduced.
 If the mines of COehise county al
 to be assessed at the rate propose
 by the territorial board of equaliz
 tion it means that 10 more mines wi