The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1906-01-20
STATEMENT BY
SENATOR CLARK
Montana Statesman Appears Before
the House Committee Discuss
ing Statehood Bill.
REFUTES RECENT CHARGES
ARIZONA MEN CONTINUE TO FILE
OBJECTIONS.

Washington, Jan. Ex-senator W. A.
Clark of Montana appeared before the
house committee on territories today and
made a statement concerning the tax
assessment on the United Verde copper
mine at Jerome, Ariz., which had been
mentioned frequently in the joint state
hood hearings as one of the great MN
ing properties alleged to be escaping tax
alton under the present territorial or
Representative Hamilton. chairman of
the committee, said there was no desire
on the part of the committee to question
United States senator, but Represent
alive Moon of Tennessee fnterjected:
Il would just as soon question United
states senator as anybody else II ne
knew anything 1 want to know.
Mr.. Moon then explained that the
charge had been made of unjust and cor
rupt taxation Of the United Verde prop
erty. and asked Senator Clark to make
statement.
Always Paid the Tax Levied.
Senator Clark explained that he was
the chief owner of the mine in question,
and said he had always paid the full tax
levied, except one time, when the tax
was contested because ii was thought to
be unjust. He said he was not fully
prepared to make a detailed statement,
but thought his company was paying
taxes on about Sl,2O0O00 assessed against
the improvements and personal property
II owned. inns represented an assess
ment, he SAID, larger than some proper
ties pay in Montana or any other state
h pays taxes in
Senator Clark refuted newspaper state
ments that the mine was worth more
than 100000 600. He said they we're mere
guesses as to the amount of ore yet IN
blocked, and absolutely unreliable
Value of Mine Unknown.
q defy any one TO estimate accurately
the value Of the mine" said Senator
Clark. Tine eye cannot reach beyond
the ground, and ore which seems to be in
inexhaustible quantities may play out at
any time"
Chairman Hamilton read newspaper
clippings in which Senator Clark was
quoted as saving he had rejected an Of
fer of SIS OO0,O0O for the United Verde
mine. Senator Clark denied the quota
ton, and said he had never offered to
sell the property and had never had any
offer for 1t.
"BuII'' Andrews Appears.
William H. Andrews. delegate to con-
the house committee on territories today
ct its hearing on joint statehood He said
although there is some opposition in New
Mexico to joint statehood. he believed the
proposition would carry by a good vote
If submitted to the people. New Mex
leo would, prefer single statehood, but
would rather have joint statehood than
remain out of the Union.
A J. Doran of Prescott, Ariz., argued
against joint statehood
Raised an Uproar.
II an imprisoned speech Eugene
ONeil declared that the committee was
acting as judge, jury and prosecuting at
torne- in advocating the joint statehood
bill and characterized as a crime the
way the hearing was conducted.
Democratic members of the committee
agreed with Mr. O'Neil and encOuragS 81
him in continuing a speech which threw
the committee into an uprOar.
Other AriZOnans who spoke were r. s.
Goodrich, Phoenix; E. S. George French
Nogales. and E. S. Campbell Prescott
Chairman Hamilton today intimated
that the joint statehood bill might be