Weekly journal-miner., 1909-02-24
GRAHAM Is HOUSE DIVIDED AGAINST
 ITSELF
Mining Companies Want Their Own County
 It Is Said

tility of the mining and agricultural
 interests, representatives of which are
 now thronging the city, and lobbying about the hotels with the legislators.
 This family row promises to be the
 center of public interest till it is set
 tied. Sunday and Washington's birth
 day were both devoted to affectionate
 buttOn-holing of the lawmakers. A
 number of citizens of that county ar
 rived here yesterday and it is said that others are on their way. MT.
 Hampton has the copy of the bill pre-
 pared and it will be introduced Tues
 day. MT. Pace in tle house will make
 hard fight against the measure, and
 may be able to rally to his support
 most of the Maricopa assemblymen.
 The fight recalls vividly the history
 of the scrap over the assessment of the
 mining companies of that county by
 John Birdno, before the territorial
 board of equalization in 1904. MT.
 Birdno is in the city and will lead the
 fight against division. He has peti
 tions with over 100 signers from Ora
 ham against cutting the county in two.
 The line of division will run about eight miles east of Solomonville, along the Paenosla mountain range. The Duncan country will be in the pro- posed new county, Lincoln. It is a valley of about 20 miles in length on the Gila The assessed valuation of the new subdivision would be about | S6, ,O0O,O ,OOO, while that of Graham would | be little over $2,OOO,OOO. In the lat ter country there would be approxi- ] mately 2S,OOO acres of irrigated valley | land under the Gila in Sulphur Springs region.
 From an impartial standpoint the situation seems to be that once the big companies have been compelled to pay heavier taxes under the bullion tax law, that they want counties of their own, that they can control, leav ing the rest to hold the sack. There is possibility that the division of Ora ham by the present legislature under the influence that is being brought to bear, that before the session ends, oth- CT propositions to divide will be made, giving the big mining companies eOun ties of their own.
 All the companies, mining and rail- road, are paying taxes on $4,75O,OOO worth of property. The Mining Engin- eering Journal of December gives the valuation of the improvements of one company alone, exclusive of the mines, at $5,244,OOO. It is said that eonserva- tive estimates of the value of the mines in Graham county will run up wards of $6O,OOO,OOO.
 When Birdno was before the terri torial board he gave in evidence that the Arizona Copper Company returned in assessed valuation $s3O,OOO At the same time it was shown that tne dividends of the company were in round number $2,OOO,OOO.
 The meeting Saturday between the sub-eommittees of the council and the railroad officials resulted in no head way, as far as the nature of the legis- { lation to be enacted was concerned. The railroads did not come forward ( With concessions that amounted to any thing, but devoted their efforts to g proving that business would stand neither passenger fare reductions nor ' cuts in freight rates Much statistical t data was presented but some of the | members of the caucus were not satis- f fled with the showing. One council | man declared that he would attend no r more of these secret sessions as he was 1isgusted with the dilatory tactics of ? the rest of the crowd. Among the railroad men in attendance were M ). Bieknen of the Southern Pacific, W. A. Drake, F. P. Cruice, P P. hastings 'f the S. F., P. & P, M. L. Bryne, G. ?. A., of Los Angeles, E. E. Ellinwood, t representing the Fl Paso and south S western, Leroy Anderson, Frank Cox, h attorney for the S. F., and L. H. Chal- ners, attorney for the Santa Fe. t'
 One man that the press is always h Ible to find where he stands, is Ben a On nearly every important t' ssue which he has investigated, Ben " makes a declaration of his position when approached. That sort of man . s admired, even if you cannot agree hi with his views. The judge was for si he Pace bill from the start. Now he W avs he is against railroad eommis- te ion, and unquestionably he will vote f' gainst any bill creating that body. th hampton on the other hand is more tr L,,& Lo ka nd