Arizona republican., 1906-01-04
PROFESSOR DOUGLAS
 ON JOINT STATEHOOD
His Views Presented to the New York
 Tribune.

The New York Tribune last week in tle subject of statehood legislation cl.u said:
 "Dr. James Douglas, who is the eX- ecutive head of the mining enterprises in Arizona grouped as the Phelps, Dodge & Go. interests, was seen in his office, No 99 John street, yesterday af- ternoon, and gave his views upon the proposed joint statehood of Arizona and New Mexico. MT. Douglas said:
 Tt seems almost futile for one iden- tified with corporate interests in either of the territories to voice his views in opposition to joint statehood. Those who favor the proposition charge us with selfish and ulterior motives. My answer is that we are merely reflect ing the sentiment of practically every intelligent citizen of Arizona in our opposition, and to the charge that those interested in mining operations in the territory are maintaining a lobby, at large expense, in Washington to pro mote separate statehood I am able truthfully to assert that Phelps, Dodge & Co.,, gre not spending a dollar for that purpose. The only thing we have done was on the occasion of the visit of the territorial committee of the house to Arizona last summer when we afforded the congressional party the facilities of our railroad and ac- corded them the usual courtesies of ordinary hospitality when they visited any of the points where our mines or smelling plants are situated. The con- gressmen were under the escort of F.. M Murphy who, with his brother, eX- governor N. O. Murphy, has mining in terests in another part of the terri tory.
 ''To force Arizona into a union with New Mexico is to do a great wrong to the people of the former territory, wh ), in racial antecedents, religious pre- ferences and industrial interests. are wholly unlike the inhabitants of New Mexico New Mexico has a population sufficient to justify her admission as a single state, and the people of Arizona among whom I have spent more than twenty five years of my life, would rather wait twenty years for statehood than be joined to New Mexico.
 'In the event of joint statehood the vast interests in Arizona would be outvoted and so controlled in the mat ter of taxation by the greater popula- ton of the present territory of New Mexico, which is vastly less import ant in the value of its taxable prop erty. The various interests of Phelps Dodge & Co, including railroads mines and smelters, employ fully ten thousand men-about three-fourths of that number in Arizona and the bal ance on the railroads and in the coal mines in New Mexico-and since more than ten per cent of the poulation of Arizona is either employed in or de- pendent upon our various enterprises we may fairly entertain the opinion that is is scarcely an impertinence for us to express views on questions that bear on the welfare of the people or of the great mining industry there. 'I can well understand that it may seem desirable to substitute a state government for the territorial form whenever it can be wisely accom- plished, and I can also appreciate the political considerations that are in volved in the contention for joint statehood, but neither should outweigh the injustice that would be involved in such an unfit alliance as that of Arizona and New Mexico.
 Finally I want it clearly under stood that Phelps, Dodge & Go. have never been in politics and do not desire to enter that field, and that the in- situation that we are spending money to influence separate statehood or de- feat joint statehood is foundationleSs falsehood."