Williams news., 1905-12-23

| "oo NSsSioPih6 idpiOiy J : homesteads were being established ! agriculture was extending, and tn g wealth of the community was bein 5 increased. This is all changed. Tn reserves cover practically all tn : desirable lands in the county, ant not only have new entries ceased , but many of the old ones, owing t< r the isolation resulting from the en forcement of strict departments ) regulations, have been relinquished To a country whose future anc ) prosperity depends upon immigra. tion, as that of Coconino county
 essentially does, the effect of an ab-
 rupt closing of its gates to the
 home seeker settler can readily be
 understood.
 | z. The establishment and ex-
 tension of Indian reservations have
 also increased the misfortunes of
 this county. Since it's establishment
 two very large additions have been
 made to the Navajo Indian reserva-
 tion by executive order, thereby re.
 ducing the remaining public do-
 main within the county by nearly
 two million acres. In fact. a glance
 at the map shows that Coconino
 county is principally made up of
 forest reserves and Indian reserva-
 tions, the remainder being land of
 little if any value for any purpose.
 In this respect the condition of the
 county is probably without par
 allel. And these conditions are due
 wholly to congressional, executive and departmental acts-all we'll in- tended, but nevertheless disastrous in their effect upon Coconino county.
 8. For the year 1905 the assess. ment roll of Coconino county footed up $3,6e5,OOO. This assessment in- cluded, however, 12O,3S6 acres of forest reserve land belonging to the land grant aforesaid, valued at $546,237 (and comprising all the unrelinquished lands remaining in the reserves in said county), which will all have been relinquished be fore the next assessment, and will therefore never appear on the tax roll again. And to make up even this small aggregate, it has been found necessary to assess all prop srty at practically it's full cash value, and to exercise the most 'crupulous care that everything ;axable should be sought out and . listed. All property is now assessed tt a higher rate than it was five years ago, and the assessment is 80 . Hose that practically nothing es- { apes taxation. These exactions lave become absolutely necessary n order to raise the required reve- tue even under the excessive rate r f taxation. We know of no other a ounty in the west wherein the val ations are so high and the assess L nent so searching as in this county.
 9. Therefore, in view of these h ppressive conditions, which are a holly due, as we have shown, to r' cts of the federal government, the eople of Coconino county feel that ct simple justice some provision te 1ould be made by congress to alle- fate the situation. At least it ould seem that an appropriation lould be made for the purpose of be aying off the bonded indebtedness cl
 the county. Even should that as lief be granted, the future con- pl ins promise of little if any more tn an a protracted struggle against solvency. And this is not in any es nse an appeal for charity; it is ha ca for equity, and it is made upon err e theory that congress should at lst be willing to provide for a part fuI the expense consequent upon it's res ,islation in behalf of the public ses large. It cannot be right that ce,
 impoverished Arizona county ould be required to provide the all ys and means of carrying out ov, leral legislation designed to ben I'm