The copper era., 1906-02-01
THE COMMITTEE REPORT.
It's Views Concerning the Population of
 New Mexico,

The republican members of the committee on territories submitted to the house the following report on the statehood bill:
 Representative Hamilton, of Michi- gan, chairman of the house commit tee on territories submitted a favor able report on the Hamilton joint statehood bill, which provides for admission of Oklahoma and Indian Territory as one state, and provides joint statehood for New Mexico and Arizona under the name of Arizona.
 The report reviews the bill in de- tail, explaining that the capital of Arizona is to be at Santa Fe until 1915 and that the capital of Okla homa is to be at Guthrie for the same length of time, when the people can choose their capital sites with justice to all parts of the states.
 The report says: "This committee considers the criticism as Informed which finds fault with New Mexico because of it's foreign population. Out of a population of 195,316 New Mexico has only 16,465 foreign born inhabitants, smaller foreign per centage of foreign born than most states of the union.
 ''New Mexico was made territory in 1850 and ever since that time the people of that territory have elected their own legislators, made their own laws, conducted their own local gov ernment and contributing revenue to the federal treasury.
 "Were it not that two-thirds of its population which are native born, but of Spanish descent have been heretofore enormously referred to as foreign, it would be an aspersion upon a patriotic people to re- fer to their loyalty. The remaining three-fourths of its population are of the same character as the people of Arizona.
 Of the alleged undervaluation of property in Arizona for purposes of taxation, which was warmly discuss ed in the hearings, the report says: 'It has a total assessed valuation of taxable property as shown by the re- port of the secretary of the interior of SIT, ,920, ,372, but it is probable that it's property is returned for taxation at a comparative small percentage of its market value in some instances as indicated by government reports, at not over five per cent. of its actual value"
 Concerning the taxes in New Mex ico, the report says: "The assessed valuation of property within the ter ritory for the. year 1905, was $42, 792, but it is asserted that for pur- poses of taxation property IS not re- turned at much more than twenty per cent. of it's market value.
 The report concludes as follows: "Inasmuch as congress intended by the organic act of the territory of Oklahoma, that all of the original Indian Territory together with what is now Beaver county, should become one state ana 1QdSmuCn as ent territory of Oklahoma has for some time been qualified for state hood which has been deferred until the Indian Territory should be ready to be joined herewith in statehood.
 "Inasmuch as conditions in the In dian Territory imperatively demand some better form of government than now exists there, and, ) "Inasmuch as the Indian lands will be allotted in seyeralty before the time when statehood can go into eff feet this committee reports in favor of the jointure of the territory of ; Oklahoma and Indian Territory in one state, not, however, before March 4, 1907, such state to be known as the state of Oklahoma. ''To that end and to the end that the territories of Arizona and New Mexico may be joined in one state to be known as the state of Arizona, this committee recommends that the bill do pass"