Albuquerque morning journal. [volume] (Albuquerque, N.M.) 1903-1926, 1907-08-03
EFFORT TO COLLECT
COPPER QUEEN
X { s
Big Stir Caused in Arizona by
Action of the Territory in
Bringing Suit for Arrears
Against Great Corporation.

Something of a sensation has beer
caused in Arizona by details of the
suit recently fled against ;hc Copper
Queen Mining company for back taxes
in which the territory is the plaintiff
Grave charges are made by newspa-
pers against tax collectors Of the
counties, who, it is alleged, have
failed to take proper action to force
the corporation to pay up. The Pres
colt Journal-Miner, discussing the
suit recently filed by the attorney gen
eral of the territory, says;
That Tax Collector Gaines of Co
chise county Is a servile creature of
the Copper Queen Mining company OF
that county, is the natural deduction TO
be drawn after reading the facts re-
cited in the petition for a writ of man
damus which was filed yesterday in
the territorial supreme court by At
torney General Clark in behalf of the
territory.
The Copper Queen owes hack taxes
To the territory and Cochise county in
the sum of $t11,140.37. of which sum
the amount due the territory is $4O,-
635.75.
According to law it is the duty OF
Gaines to bring suit to collect the de-
linquent amount. He has not only
failed to do so, but has refused to do
so when requested by the attorney
general. Gaines evidently considers
hat himself and the Copper Queen ave
above the law and has in%solently bid
defiance to the governing authorities
Attorney General Clark now wants
to find out If Gaines and his masters
are the czars of Arizona. and what IS
equally important, he wants the terri
tory to collect that $4,000 which is
due II. For these reasons he asks the
supreme court to issue a writ of man
damus to compel the subserViont tax
collector of Cochisc county to insti-
tute sui to collect the back taxes.
In his petition Attorney General
Clark alleges that i'm July, 1901, the
board of supervisors of Cochise county,
acting as a board of equalization,
raised the assessment of the Copper
Queen company, as returned by their
representatives to a sum total of So
S33,034.-He further allEes that in
August. 1901, the territorial board of
equalization fixed the territorial tax
rate at $f.f7 on each $100 of Valua-
ton of taxable property, and that the
supervisors of Cochisc county levie1
for county purposes a tax of $2.03 on
each 800 of taxable property, making
the total tax levy $500 on each 500
worth of taxable property.
The petition for a writ of manda-
mus then states that In 1901 the sum
of 122.657.09 was levied against the
S122,657.09 was levied against the
Copper Queen as taxes, and that on
September o the Copper Queen paid
on account S~14,133.12. On the third
Monday of December, that year, tho
taxes remaining unpaid by the Copper
Queen became delinquent. and on
March 1, 1902, the Copper queen paid
S9.132.64 as. part payment of the de-
linquent taxes. leaving a balance then
due and unpaid of . 9,391.33.
Attorney General Clark then states
that on October /, 1908, all of the said
back taxes due by the Copper Queen
company, together with interest, pom
alties and costs. amounted to SIG
S01.S1. which remained unpaid and
that On January 1. 1904. the taxes SIN
remaining unpaid, 1t became the duty
of the tax collector to enforce payment
by bringing suit, but that said tax coll
lector not only failed to enter such
suit, but positively refused to do so,
or make any owe towards the collec-
ito nof the back slXes, until forced 60
do so by a court having proper juriS-
diction, wherefore the attorney gem
eral prays for a writ of mandamus.
The petition further states hat on
June 3, 1904. the Copper Queen paid
the tax collector Of Cochise county
S5,6661.44 on cthe delinquent taXrs,
leaving "A balance due of ~S11t.140.37,
which still remains unpaid and which
the attorney general hopes to collect.
through forcing Tax Collector Gaines
90 bring suit.