Arizona republican., 1910-08-08
AUGUST MEETING 0F
 EQUALIZATION BOARD
1t is Understood Arizona Eastern Will Ask for Some Changes in Rail-
 road Valuation.

The territorial board of equalization will meet today in the office of the territorial auditor and will probably be in session the greater part of the week. It is the occasion of the regular August meeting provided for by law, at which is determined the tax levy for territorial purposes, for the year as well as the equalizing of valuations returned to the board by the respective counties on the various classes of property, and fin ally fixing the valuations of railroad property tentatively made at the June meeting.
 The members of the board are Auditor w. c. Foster, chairman; Charles F. Slack. member for the first district; Charles Bowman,y mem Der for the second district; F.. w. ChiIds. ,rnenber for the third district; Lee N. Stratton, member for the Fifth district. Attorney General John B. Wright is in the city and will probably be present also.
 It is already known that the total valuation of the territory will be in excess of $S5,000,0 as shown by the returns of the counties which fix the minimum figures lower than which the board cannot go, as to a total valuation of county property, though it may in its equalizing, change the valuations equitably and if 1t chooses it may make raises on an equitable basis. The railroad valua- tions. were fixed in June as the board believed they should stand, since which time the owners of the proper ties have had an opportunity to study the findings and if they see fit they may ask for hearings before the valuations are finally determined at this meeting.
 It is understood that sometime this week the Arizona Eastern people will express to the board their dissatisfac- ton with the valuations that were tentatively fixed upon at the June meeting, and will insist that if the principle of equalization is to be kept in view, the board should either raise the valuation of the Fl Paso x Southwestern and the Arizona & New Mexico (which runs from Lords burg to Clifton) or lower the valua- ton of Maricopa & Phoenix and Gila Valley, Globe & Northern lines. It is understood to be the position of the Arizona Eastern company that it is somewhat indifferent as to which course is pursuel by the board. It only insists that if the valuations of the Fl Paso & Southwestern and the Arizona &. New Mexico lines are to be taken as fair, then the valuation of the Arizona & Eastern lines should be lowered, and if on the other hand the board considers that a proper valuation has been fixed for the Ari- zona Eastern, then the valuation of the other lines mentioned should be raised-otherwise there is no real equalization" as between the lines.
 The valuations tentatively fixed up on at the June meeting were:
 Maricopa & Phoenix, per mile. .ss.500 Gila Valley Globe & Northern s10.000 Fl Paso & Southwestern ..s12,05O Arizona & New Mexico ....$7, ,000
 These valuations for the Arizona & Eastern lines carried a total increase of $34S.736.
 One other feature of the valuation of the Arizona Eastern system is ob- ieeted to by that company The new branch line from Globe to Miami. 14 miles long. was valued at sS.695 per mile It is a line which. representa- lives of the company say, will not earn even operating expenses for a long time to come, and they say a valuation of s2.00O mile would be more nearly fair figure.