Arizona republican. [volume] (Phoenix, Ariz.) 1890-1930, 1907-03-01
PHoENTX, ARIZONA. MARCH I. 1907
AN ERA OF DELIBERATIoN.


The meeting of the house and council
committees on mines and mining yes
terday was something to the purpose.
in which respect it was in pleasing
contrast TO the meeting held a week or
more ago and which served no other
purpose than to permit the wrangling
OF attorneys over the merits and de-
merits Of corporations: a mutual as
.sault upon motives and a frequent ex-
precision Of a suspicion OF a niger in
the wood pile" with absolutely not the
slightest effort in the direction Of the
transaction of the business in hand;
with the general result that the COM
mittec for whose sole edification COM
mittee meetings are always held
emerged from it with rather more
Opaque notions Of taxation than they
had taken into il.
The committees yesterday took the
pTecaution Of excluding all matter
which had no bearing on the subject
before them. There was no discussion
Of the general immortality OF corpora
tiOns but an honest effort was made
10 ascertain the rights Of the mining
companies as well as those of other
classes Of taxpayers. That is. the COM
mittee endeavored To learn whether the
DOran bill would accomplish what its
friends believed ii would accomplish:
increase the territorial revenues and
lower the tax rate and at the same
time adjust the weight Of taxation more
nearly equally upon all shoulders.
The best source of information on
the subject Of a probable increase OF
revenues was naturally in the mining
mon themselves. They afforded it not
in wild Incorporate and unsubstantiatcd
statements but in such a form that the
committee could easily satisfy itself as
TO the accuracy Of it, In addition the |
mining men presented certain ethical /
views on the subject OF taxation. the /
Tcasonableness Of which the committee /
will determine.
That is really all the committee de- /
sired TO know. Conclusions as to the !
effect Of the Doran bill on the mines /
and all other taxable property may Z
now be easily formed.
The hearing before the committee .
was not ex parte. One Of the witnesses /
was County Assessor John J. Birdno /
OF Graham county who has been more
active than any other county officer
in effecting or endeavoring to effect an .
Increase Of mining assessments. The .
presence Of Mr. Birdno however
among the mining men did not produce
in harmony but assisted in clearing
away complications that had been
created in his name at the former
meeting. L had been represented that
Mr.. Birdno had stated that the Doran
bill would reduce the mining assess
ments in his county. Mr.. Birdno how
ever said that he had been misappre-
hended for It was evident that the
Doran bill on the basis Of production
last year must certainly increase the
had however expressed a belief that
the Weedin bill would reduce the
assessments of the mines. Thus. if il
had been understood that M Birdno
had had reference to the Weedin bill
and not to the Doran bill. his name
was very improperly dragged into the
former meeting for the Weedin bin had
been Withdrawn from consideration be-
fore the committee was convened.
We allude now to the testimony OF
Mr.. Birdno yesterday only for the pur-
pose Of showing the difference between
the character Of the proceedings at
yesterdays meeting and the nature Of
those at the former meeting.
Now that an era Of calm deliberation
has been entered upon results bene-
fetal TO the whole territory may be
confidently expected