Bisbee daily review., 1906-08-10

it was just taxation to increase the mines in Cochi.se county oyer. $1,500.000 in order that some s700.000 might be added to the assess, ments of the producing companies of the county; the courts of the terri tory did not agree to such a fragrant injustice and the tax-levies imposed by order of the governor and his at torney general, through the board of equalization, was stricken from the books When the governor and his attorney general attempts to again assess the mines of Arizona the peo- pie of Arizona win pass upon the justness of the efforts as they did on the last effort.
 Governor Kibbey was at the head of the republican party two years ago when the silly cry of "elect Fowler and endorse irrigation went resounding through the canyons of the territory and now in his farewell address, in turning the reins of the republican chariot over to his old friend Sturges, he would attempt to raise an issue for the coming campaign which will make his party as ridiculous as did the irrigation fiasco of 1904. The democrats of the territory will at all times welcome republican fight at. tempted on such lines.
 In the early days of the territory the people of Arizona pursued a policy of liberality to capital which they be- lieved would encourage the develop. ment of the resources of the country. Many of the mining enterprises of the territory which are reaping profits to- day struggled for years at a loss to their owners and some of the copper mines of Arizona that are now work ing at profit have grade of ore so low that only for the recent new pro cesses of treatment and the advancing price of the metal would now be idle and of no value whatever.
 The republicans will find no one to argue with them if they ask that some of the mines of the territory nov j., the day of tteif bfasDerity pay more tax than heFeta5teore, but the republi, cans vii, and plenty of people to con- troVert the attempt made last year by a republican board of equalization to increase mining assessments on producing and non-producing mines at the same ratio.
 For many years every legislature which assembled in Arizona passed what was known as railroad exemp- tion bills, offering ten, fifteen and as high as twenty years exemption from taxation to new lines of railroads con- structed in the territory; the Santa Fe, Prescott & Phoenix was exempted from taxation, the Globe road got such benefit and other lines came in for like favors. This was done as an encouragement to railroad building in 1 Arizona as means of further develop. l ing the resources of the country.
 After agreeing to the territorial policy during the last twenty years of liberality to capital in the matter of taxation as an inducement for its in. vestment in Arizona the republican party of Arizona would make itself ridiculous in attempting to assume
 "a more righteous than thou" posi- | tion in claiming that it is the only hope of increasing the taxes to be paid by the big mining and railroad com panies.
 We would advise the Gazette tC look back over the record and see how many railroad tax-exemption bills have been signed by republican gov ernors and how many mine assess nents in the past have received the o. K. from republican boards of equalization before pushing its 1906 political craft too far from the shore. | Sabe?