Weekly journal-miner. [volume] (Prescott, Ariz.) 1908-1929, 1912-01-17
From Saturdays Daily

In the mOmehtousness d, questions
E,,ussed. the sessions Of the Arizona
,,.e.srs, association grow more i'm.
,or,an, daily. Today, which will be
,se last day Of the meeting, the most
n,or,ant question Of all will be TAX.
on No. the bullion tax question.
One Of the biggest questions yes
,srdav. the taxation Of railroads, fol- |
ored the discussion bf taxation Of
o.riehes. and in the warm and inter. |
,,,ed discussion that followed, the
personal property schedule was for.
,otten for the time. President Camp
hell had evidently given some degree
n study to the hubject. He had left
The chair at the time, and Mr.. Cam.
ron was presiding, and when the
ubieet Of railroads was reached, Mr..
Campbell took the floor, and moved
that all railroads in Arizona be as.
,essed at per cent Of their gross
income. as is done in the state Of
California. and used for state pur.
noses. All that the association could
do in the matter is to recommend the
incorporation of the California law
into an Arizona statute.
Railroads are Considered.
The Importance of the motion was
attested by the silssce which fol.
loved it, and at least to some Of the
members il was surprise.
Railroads. droned out the secre.
,ary. reading down the list Of taxable
property.
He had passed TO another item,
when Mr.. Howe, of Cochise, asked IL
Mr.. Campbell had not wished TO say
something upon the subject, and that
gentleman arose TO state his position.
Mr. Birdno stated that he would
second the motion merely to get the
question before the house, but that
he would oppose the plan. Mr.. Camp
bell then went into somewhat
lengthy discussion Of the question,
supporting his plan Of railroad taxa
ton He made frequent reference to
the laws Of Wisconsin, Kansas and
California, states that have set the
pace in progressive government in
recent years, and in citing the Cali
fornia taxation law he praised the
progressiveness of the recent laws
passed in that state.
Difficulties are Foreseen
Mr.. Birdno asked II the state taxa
ton commission, which the body will
recommend, would not have authority
to fix the system Of taxing railroads,
and Mr. Campbell replied that his
plan was suggested for use in the
event tax commission was not
adopted. He claimed for his plan
that il was based on correct prinei'
pies, and that its virtue lay chiefly
in that, as instanced In California,
the difference in tax would not be
unjust, in California, under the ad'
valorem system, the per cent col
lected was 3h per cent, as against
per cent under the system Of tax
ing the net income.
Mr. Howe of Cochise expressed his
belief in the correctness OF the prin'
ciple involved in the plan, but stated
that he foresaw difficulties in putting
such law into effect in Arizona, say
ing that some counties depended
largely upon the taxes from railroads
to support schools, and that in a
school district he had in mind, the
trustees had sold bonds for the pur-
pose Of erecting school houses, ana
that the purchasers Of the bonds had
taken them because of the security
afforded them by taxes paid by the
railroad that ran through the district
Under the system advocated by MT
Campbell, he said that none OF TINS
tax money would come back 10 '"'
smaller units Of the state government
II way were found to pro rate INC
money among the counties In proper
ton to the length Of railroad line iu
the smaller units, he would approve
the plan, he said.
Motion is Changed.
Mr.. Campbell changed his mo'io'
TO read, "That all railroad valuations
shall be ascertained by capitaiizins
the gross income at 4 per cent, an'
shah be assessed on a mileage pas''
and distributed as in the past - MI
Campbell subsequently withdrew III
motion, and on motion OF Mr.. HOW
tho question was referred to the com
mittee on resolutions, which Will SUP
nit report at this mornings SEES