Arizona silver belt., 1905-08-31
THE DROWNING iNiQUiTY

IVY
We are informed on the authority of
a member of the Eighteenth territorial
assembly that, since that epoch in the
history of Arizona, no less than fifty
two unimportant and practically value
lest the people-soft snaps in the
way of political sinecures have been
placed upon the already bent shoulders
of growing territory. Tax burdens
have been piled up to make room for
more carpetbaggers and their parasites,
and to the end that Phoenix might con
tain a little something besides the capt.
tai and necessary buildings for housing
those who misgoverned. The ambitious
youth who was struggling on with de-
sire for eventual statehood and man
hood was shackled and manacled and
then hidden God-speed by the hypo-
critics who professed to wish Arizona
well.
The climax has been reached during
this month by the arbitrary action of
the territorial board of bulldoze. The
valuations of property have been alb
normally increased and the territorial
tax rate-for the general fund-ele-
waited to an unwarrantable extent, and
for what purpose the governor and ter
ritorial auditor may know, but the peo-
pie who pay the freight are left hope
lessly in the dark.
A raise of practically Sl5,0O0,O 600 in
assessed valuation and the boost in the
rate of taxation makes an increase to
swell the general fund by approx
mately fifteen per cent, for which no
special uses have been assigned. IL
this is not simply stand-and-deliver
proposition there never was one.
1t it does not mean the piling up of a
surplus out of which to create more
political graft and still further develop
the town of Phoenix, what in the world
is it needed for?
If it does not presage more Office
making and paternal care for carpet
baggers, what does it forbode?
If bonds were to be retired or debts
paid, obligations cancelled there would
probably not be voice raised in criti-
cism because of the general prosperity.
1t is this prosperity which always in
spires the professional politician with
ideas of graft.
In this case the big corporations were
aimed at and it seems as if the bosses
had determined to place portion of
their earnings-or capital, it makes no
difference which to the politican-in
the public Golfers, where it may be alb
sorbed in the ways only known to the
legislative professional
Only few weeks before the board
of inequalities held its session the
Phoenix press published many state
ments as to the great earning capacity
of the new bureau of corporations.
Forty to fifty thousand dollars a year
coming in for the issuance of corpor-
alton charters. Still the revenues must
be increased, ergo-soak the mines. !
Maricopa has no mines worth speaking
of so no increase could harm the pro-
tected county.
But with that beautiful lack of the
sense of equity governing all the trans
actions of the board from the time the
railroads were-not- increased, they !
overshot the mark. The board would |
like to kick themselves for only putting
100000 of the increase on the big
producer" and more than $4,000. 900 |
on the smaller mines,a great majority
of which have never returned any in
come to their owners.
The rich companies would pay the |
tax if they thought it equitable or they
could fight it if they thought the tax
illegal and unjustifable, and their attor-
neys advised that the levey might be
broken.
But it is the hundreds of smaller
operators and struggling companies
who will feel the injustice most and
who have every principle of equity be-
hind them in their contention, and the
bosses who rode rough shod over the
rights of the small miner, prospector
and nonresident owner will feel the
impact of the boomerang.
The correct method of assessing
mines has been presented to the ter
ritorial legislature and, though ably adj
vocated by such men as Gen. Thomas
F. Wilson, it was rejected. Under the
different heads the proposition should
be as follows:
The mining claim which is merely
staked and legally located, should be
taxed only as it produces bullion. For
hs.,r IL q