Graham guardian., 1906-11-23
GOV. KIBBEY'S REPORT
Advance Copies of Report in Which
the Governor Deals at Length
With Subject of Taxa
tion in Arizona.

- ' - N'AN W. -
year,
The receipts from all sources
during the fiscal year amounted tC
$500, ,644,83, and the Disbursements
to S794,l4337
The "nct debt" of the territory
was 81 ,O22,972 43, a decrease Of
$4,000 for the year, bonds repre-
senting territorial indebtedness TO
that amount having been paid
The total funded dett on behsli
of counties and cities was S2,l00,,
3O2 Sc, an increase of $4,000
This increase does not represent,
however, an actual increase of
public indebtedness. 1t means,
merely that matured county bonds
10 the amount of S25,0 were paid
! with the proceeds of an issue OF
territorial bonds of the same par
value.
MINING INDUSTRY
| The past year was one of unex-
ampled prosperity for the mining
industry in Arizona. Copper min
ing particularly has had, and has,
the proportions of yeritablc
"boom." The high prices prevail
ing for copper throughout the year
stimulated prospecting TO re-
markable degree, and mining
properties in all stages of develop
ment have found ready sale
From the best figures obtaIuAble
estimate that the production of
copper in this territory for the
present calander year will aggre.
gate 300,000,0OO pounds, which
would be worth, at the average
New York price, at least $4,000
900.
As | pointed out last year, there
is no method of accurately ascer-
tanning the production of gold
and silver. Aside from the dis.
tinctiveIy gold and silver mines,
nearly all our copper ores carry
values in gold and the larger pro-
ducers are not disposed to give
the details OF production. | think
1t would be conservative to esti
mate it at S4,000,000 in gold and
s2,000,000 in silver during the
present calendar year.
An active demand for skilled
miners continues, and in some dis-
tricts there is complaint that a
sufficient Aumber of misers can
not be had.
Wages and hours of work at ell
mines appear to be satisfactory,
and amicable relations between
operators and miners have bees
maintained Some excitement was
caused at Bisbee last sprug by the
agitation Of the question Of "uAion-
lz,ng" the mines in that district.
There was a mass meeting Of the
miners at which it was decided to
leave the question to referendum
vote of the workers and the result
was an overwhelming majority
against the union project.
TAXATION
As | had occasion to say in my
last report, the subject Of taxation
IS perplcxing one. The efforts
Of the past year to secure more
equal distribution Of the burdens
of taxation has emphasized the
statement. At the meeting of the
territorial board of equalization
in August, 1905, that board under
took the equalization of taxes.
Our statute requires that the clerk
of the board Of supervisors of each
county shall, before the third
Monday of August in each year,
make an abstract of the assessment
roll Of his county, The property
is required to be classified in the
returns thus decided to be made.
Upon the examination of these
returns the board found last year
that the property, other than pat
ented mines and railroads. had
been assessed at from 40 to rs per
cent of its value, and that patented
mines, together with their i'm
provcments, were assessed at not
more than 8 to per cent of their
values.
1t is conceded to be dif1icslt to |
ascertain the real value of mine, |
On conservative estimate, how
ever, il may be entirely safely |
said that the mines Of the terri |
tory are worth and would readily |
sell fornot less than Sl00,000,000. |
Whetaor the vsluo Of the mine
itself can be accurately estimated |
or not, there is no difficulty in as
certaining the value Of its product.
Tho production Of the mines for
1908 was not less than $4,000, 900
IN gold, silver and copper Last
year it was sliIl greater This
year it will exceed S50,000,000.
All the mines in the territory, and
the improvements upon them were,
10 1905, returned for taxation at a
value OF less than S5,000,000, not.
Hilhstandng that the productive
ness Of the mines had at that time
increased over tho year 1904 The
Territorial board of equalization
undertook to cquaIize these vaIua-