The copper era and Morenci leader., 1912-01-12
ARIZONA ASSESSORS IN CONVENTION
 AT B|SbEE
California Plan Endorsed For Assessment of Railroads in Arizona and Bill Will Be
 Presented to The
 Legislature
INCREASE IN BULLION TAX
Legislative Committee Will Be on Hand When First State Legisla-
 ture Meets.

l u6 ASS0SSOTS Ot AIlZOud, as Iuduy
 of them as could attend, held theil
 second annual convention in Bisbes this week. Jas. H. Kerby, Assessor
 of Greenlee County, was in attendance
 for three days, returning home or
 Thursday evening. MT. Kerby reports
 a very successful meeting in point o1
 attendance and interest manifested
 by the members of the convention
 to secure legislation in the new state I which would insure a uniform meth.
 cd of assessment and taxation
 The next annual meeting will be
 held at Yuma on the second Monday
 in January, 1913. Yuma extended an
 invitation to the assessors to meet in
 that city, through the Yuma county
 representative at the meeting, A.
 B. Ming. The invitation carried with
 it the promise of automobiles for the
 use of the assessors, a banquet, and a hall in which to hold their .ses- sfohs.- MT. Ming wired the Yuma chamber of commerce last night of the associations acceptance of the invitation.
 Bullion Tax
 John J. Birdno, assessor of Graham County, secured the adoption of a resolution which called for an in crease of from 25 per cent to 40 per COhI OA CAS SIOSS Ol pro ducing mines. The present valuation is placed at 25 per cent This reso- lution was adopted only MT. Campbell voting against it. MT. Campbell him. self had offered a resolution provid-
 ing for taxing the net production of this class of mines, and he made a lengthy address in support of his plan. >-4
 The Birdno resolution is practically bo &I1+ meeting of the assessors at Phoenix, but no legislature has met since that time, so the resolution was renewed
 The resolution on the valuation of railroad property embodied a recom- mendation to the legislature to fix the valuation on this class of prop erty on the gross income, leaving the percentage to be stipulated by the legislature. The resolution was re- ferred to the committee on legislative revision which will frame a bill and submit it to the legislature.
 MT. Howe, of Cochise, offered a res olution reducing the minimum valua- tion of non-producing patented mines from $35 per acre to $5 an acre and the resolution was adopted.
 MT. Howe's action was renewal of fight he made last year and lost. In the 1910 meeting of the associa-  but it was voted down. Acting inde- pendently, MT. Howe made his mini l mum assessment on this class of pro- | perty at $5, but it was raised by the state board of equalization to $35. The | Howe resolution divides this class of property into two classes Class A and Class B. Class A to be assessed at $5. |
 A resolution memorializing the state legislature to exempt personal prop or-tV fn ho nf benefit of heads or families whose personal property holdings do not ex- ceed that amount, was passed. In the | last meeting a resolution exempting | S200 of personal property from taxa ton was lost. In New Mexico the | personal property, exemption is $200.
 Before adjourning, President Camp bell appointed a legislative revision committee, composed of the officers of the association ana five other mem- bers. This committee will be at Phoe- nix when the first state legislature conveneS and will work for the pas sage of the measures that it has rec one of the most important ones being the creation of a state tax commission.
 The committee named by Presi- dent Campbell to frame bills for sub- mission to the legislature is compos- ed of the officers, President Campbell Vice President Truman and Secre- tary Hughes and W. G. Duncan, of Gila; A. B. Ming, of Yuma; w. F. Williams of Navajo; J. H. Kerby, of Greenlee; T. Bone, of Maricopa.
 The association began it's sessions at o'clock Monday afternoon in the council chamber with the following present: Thomas B. Campbell, of Va vapai county; Chas R. Howe, of Co., chise; R. E. Merritt of Gila, Frank l.. Hunt, of Mohave; w. F. Williams Navajo; A. A. Dougnerty, of Santa Cruz, B. A. Cameron, of Coconino; John J. Birdno, of Graham.
 Assessors-elect who were present and made members of the association on motion of MT. Birdno, were George E. Truman of Pinal; A. B. Ming, of Yuma; D. D Phillips, of Graham; J. H. Kerby of Greenlee, B A. Hughes of Cochise, J. M. Webster, treasurer of Greenle county was also present.
 In his annual report, given orally to the meeting, President Campbell | lauded the sincerity and honesty of | the members of the organization and |