Graham guardian., 1906-07-27
From Arizona and New Mexico


From Arizona and New Mexico
John j. Birdno, Graham county's
efficient assessor, spent few days
in Clifton this week on business in
connection with his office. He re.
ports that the taxable wealth of
the county this year will be about
So, 1000 which is more than as
much again as IT was four years
ago. In the matter of mine assess
ments, Graham county heads the
list, and will be taken 10y the terri
torial board Of equalization as the
standard of values, and the mines
of other counties will be raised TO
correspond with it. II this policy
is carried out there will be an ln-
creased taxable wealth in the. terri
tory this year over last of about
Sl5,000,000, which is an indication
of the rapid strides Arizona is
making. Mr.. BIrdno also informs
the Era that the cattlemen of the
country were touched up by the
supervisors for about $4,000.
There were no changes made in
the returns IRON the Blue river,
where Judge Bake made an ex-
cellent assessment. The new maps
which the assessor recently had
made showing the patented land
of the county, will also materially
increase the tax roll. Since the
maps were made many people have
discovered that they own much
land which they had apparently
forgotten all about. In some in
stances it cannot be told who owns
the land, which will be returned as
unknown. Most of this land is
valuable. This large increase of
taxable wealth will have the effect
of lowering the tax rate to about
So rs per SlO0.-COpper Era.
Assessor John j. Birdno, of Gra-
ham county, was in the city Tues
day and made the Liberal a pleas
ant call. Mr.. Birdno puts in eight
solid months uf hard work attend
ing to the business of his Office,
and has got the assessment work
down to fine point. He has
made four assessments, and the
fourth assessment is twice as large
the first. When he took the office
there was a little over three mil
lions on the roll. He put in the
first year studying the county, and
added but little to the roll. The
next year he was better posted,
and made some raises. He then
came to the conclusion that neither
the big mining companies nor the
cattle men were paying on a prop
er assessment, and be raised the
mining companies to what he
thought was right, but the board
would not stand by him, and they
were cut down. When Mr.. Col
quhoun again took charge of the
Arizona Copper Company, Mr.,
Brdno went to him, and showed
him the injustice of the returns
the company bad made, how it
was paying more income tax in
Scotland than it was paying prop.
erty tax in Arizona. Mr.. Col
quhoun then made what the assess
or admitted was proper return
for the Arizona Copper Company,
and there was then no trouble
with the other companies. When
this was settled, Mr.. BIrdno made
a large number of raises on cattle
and other interests, to bring them
in line with the copper companies.
The result is that the tax rate in
Graham county, which was 1915
last year, will be but S275 this
year. In Arizona the assessor is
appointed by the supervisors, and
holds Office for four years. If Mr..
Birdno had had to go before the
people, for election, and his term
of office had been two years, in.
stead of four, the chances are an
hundred to one that he would have
been defeated at the end of the first
term and his successor would have
profited by his political mistakes,
and a fair assessment would never
have been made of Graham county.
New Mexico needs great change
in ITS manner of assessment, and il
is probable that the Arizona law
would be an improvement. 1t GER.
tainly would If the New Mexico
counties could get as hard work
ing assessors as is Mr.. Birdno.-|
Lordgburg LiJral