The Birmingham age-herald. [volume] (Birmingham, Ala.) 1902-1950, 1906-01-20
SENATOR CLARK
DESCRIBES MINE
Says His Arizona Property is
Taxed Sufficiently
COMMITTEE IN TURMOIL
Eugene o'Neil Declares Body Is Acting
as Judge, Jury and Prosecuting
Attorney In the State
hood Case.
COMMITTEE IN TURMOIL

Washington, January Ex-senator w. A.
Clark of Montana appeared before the
House committee on territories today and
made statement concerning the tax as
sessment on the United Verde copper
mine at Jerome, Ariz., which has been
mentioned frequently in the Joint state
hood hearings as one Of the great mining
properties alleged to be escaping just tax
alton under the present territorial or
ganization.
Representative Hamilton, chairman of
the committee, said there was no desire
on the part of the committee to question
United States senator, but Representa-
tive Moon of Tennessee interjected: I'D
just as soon question a United States SEN
ator as anybody else, if he knows any
thing want to know"
Mr.. Moon then explained that a charge
had been made of corrupt, taxation of the
United Verde property, and asked Senator
Clark to make a statement.
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 1t was thought to be
unjust. He said he was not fully prepared
to make detailed statement, but thought
his company was paying taxes on about
s., 100000 assessed against the improve
ments and personal property it owned
This represented an assessment he said.
larger than similar properties pay In Mon
tana or any other state in which he pays
taxes.
Senator Clark refuted newspaper state
ments that the mine is worth more than
one hundred million He said these were
mere gtesses as to the amount of ore yet
unblocked, and absolutely unreliable
II defy any one to accurately estimate
the value of mine." said Senator Clark
''The eye cannot reach beyond the ground
and ore which seems to be in enexhausti-
BILE quantities may play out at any time"
He then explained that in no state is any
attempt made to assess the ore in the
ground. Assessments are confined to inn
provements and personal property held by
mining companies, he said, and rightly
so as any other plan would be mere guess
work.
Chairman Hamilton read newspaper
clippings in which Senator Clark was quo
ted as saying he had rejected an offer Of
$25 100000 for the United Verde mine. Sem
ator Clark denied the quotation and said
he had never offered to sell the property
and had never had any offer for it.
Washington, January 19.-willam H.
Andrews, delegate to Congress from New
Mexico appeared before the House COM
mittee on territories today at its hearing
on joint statehood. He said that although
there was some opposition In New Mexi-
co to joint statehood, he believed the
proposition would carry by good vote IL
submitted to the people. New Mexico
would prefer single statehood, but would
rather have joint statehood than remain
out of the Union.
A. ]. Doran of Prescott Ariz., argued
against joint statehood. He has lived in
Arizona since 1876 and spoke for the min
ing interests.
In an impassioned speech Eugene ONeil
declared that the committee was acting
as judge, jury and prosecuting attorney in
advocating the joint statehood bill, and
characterized as a crime the way the
hearing was conducted.
Democratic members agreed with Mr..
ONeil and encouraged him in speech
which threw the committee into an up
roar.