Arizona republican. [volume] (Phoenix, Ariz.) 1890-1930, 1907-02-18
PHOENIX. ARIZ.. FEB. IS. 1907.
THE DoRAN NINE TAXING BILL.

THE DORAN NINE TAXING BILL.
We would like to see the color OF the
hair Of a mine taxing law that would
please the board OF supervisors of Yav-
apai county. the assessor Of that coun-
~. and the Journal Miner. We only
know that Council Bill 40. 45. Mr.. Do
rams bin does not suit them. though
we are not informed precisely why. in
"a vigorous and lengthy protest by the
board against the passage Of the bill.
The reasons are set forth in the fol-
lowing preambles:
Whereas. There has been introduced
in the council of the legislature of this
territory. now in session in Phoenix. a
bin known as g. B. No. 40. providing
for the taxing Of the mines Of this ter
Iitory. and
Whereas. The plan OF said bill is to
levy a tax upon said mines and the
improvements thereon. by fixing the
assessed value of mines. as follows. to-
wit: one-twentieth Of the value of the
gross products Of mines; and
Whereas. An examination Of the bill
and a familiarity with the conditions.
leads the members Of this board to
the firm belief that this plan for taxing
mines viii not result in benefit 10 the
people Of Yavapai county or Of the ter
ritory at large. but that on the con-
trary. so far as Yavauai county is con-
cerncd. it will be detriment, and will
result in loss in the assessed value
of mining property in this county of
over one Million CSl,OU0.OOO) dollars for
the year 1907. this statement being
made upon the calculations of our
county assessor"
The protest has the endorsement OF
the Journal Miner in the following:
"One Of the most Ubiquitous bills
that has thus far been introduced in the
legislature. is Council Bill No. 40. Tn
der the flilnsy guise Of not placing a
tax on non-procucing mines. its real
purpose is to permit the big producers
90 escape their just proportion Of taxes.
another vicious feature Of the bill is
that it repeats the Andrews act. which
provides that any taxpayer having a
grievance against his assessment must
first pay his taxes to the county, be
fore he can bring suit.
The provisions o. this bill were
discussed al the last meeting Of the
board. the assessor and the district at
torncy being called into consultation.
and IL was the conclusion Of the board
that the enactment OF the proposed law
would result in an immense loss to
this county and force the board TO
raise the tax rate"
We think there is q want Of accura-
cy in the Jourual-AIiner's description
Of the personnel Of the meeting. for
Hon. Robert 4. Morrison is the district
attorney of Yavapai county. and we
feel not the slightest hesitation In de-
nyinr that Mr.. Morrison could have
assented to the boards. the assessors
and the Journal Miners objection to
the bill.
Before proceeding further with a
discussion of our understanding of
these objections. it becomes necessary
to correct a palpable error-in the prem
Uses and to suggest TO the board for the
purpose of avoiding q recurrence of
such errors. the ACCESSIBILITY of en-
uIoyinc some average grammar school
boy with a smattering knowledge of
the subject OF percentage to assist it
and the assessor IN making their calcu-
Iations. Some sort OF a rudimentarf
arithmetician might find a job about
the office of the Journal-Miner.
It is stated in the second preamble,
that the bill proposes an assessment or
-ono twentieth" of the value of the
gross products of the mines. Now, The
Republican printed the hill in fun on
the morning following its introduction.
several hundred copies Of the bin We're
ordered printed 10y the council and sent
broadcast throughout the territory. Ev-
crybody has seen a copy of the bill
which provides that the assessment
shall be on twenty per cent or one
fifth Of the value of the gross products
of mines. and everybody knows the
difference between zone twentieth OF
a thing. and twenty per cent" Of it.
The third preamble states that the
proposed law would result in "a loss
in the assessed value OF mining prop
critics in this county Of over $l.ooo.ooo
in the year 1907. this statement being
based upon the calculations of the
county as.e--or.~
Let rs So, about that. The assessed
valuation NJ The United Verde mines