Arizona republican. [volume] (Phoenix, Ariz.) 1890-1930, 1913-05-14
Governor Hunt
to Delegation Of Repre-
sentatives. Objects to
Pardoning Board Pro
vision.
STRONG MESSAGE
ON MINE TAX LAW
Asks Legislature to Ap-
prove S. b. , AS Amend
ed AS State Needs Re
venue Temporary Meas
ure VIII Bring.

That the penal code in it's present
shape will be vetoed by Governor Hunt
; a second time, was the information OBJ
tanned from the state house yesterday.
When approached upon the subject the
governor did not deny the statement
( either. He said in effect that he could
not approve of the provision in the bill
that had been substituted for the Kel-
ton amendment creating a board of
pardons and commissioners of paroled
prisoners for the simple reason that it
allowed him TO have absolutely no say
in the matter. The bill with the par
don board substitute was finally agreed
to in the house and senate yesterday
and sent to the governor last night.
Under the provisions of that section
the attorney general and the superin-
tendent of public instructions are Sc
lected as members and, these two
to select the other officer. The mem
bers of the board draw a per diem Of
seven dollars when engaged in their
official duties as members of such
board.
The point Governor Hunt made was
that he was perfectly agreeable to two
members of the board being named in
the bill, but that he refused to stand
for not being authorized to name the
third member. A number of both
friends of Governor Hunt and of the
bill visited the chief executive yester-
day and asked him if he saw fit to
veto the bill. they would advise that
he veto the bill as early as possible so
that if the members of the Legislature
saw fit they could pass it over his
head This he refused to do He said
that the bill was a long one, had been
amended 1900 and more pages could
not be read and considered in so short
a time whatever might be the ultimate
disposition of the bill. That his right
under the constitution gave him five
days when the legislature is in session
and ten days when it is not to veto
bill and he believed he would merely
exercise his constitutional right.
It has been suggested however by a
number of close friends of the COVER
nor that he allow the bill to become a
law without his signature in the as
surance that he has friends enough in
the state who will be willing to file a
referendum against that particular
section of which he does not approve,
which would suspend the operation of
that part of it, and the rest of the law
could have force and effect. This would
give the people an opportunity to eX-
press their opinion on the bill, and still
not tie the hands of Governor Hunt.
This proposition was not made until
after Governor Hunt left the state
house last night so his opinion could
not be learned.
May 13, 1913.
To the Senate and House of Rep
resentatives, First Legislature
of the State of Arizona:
Gentlemen:-AS the final ad-
journment of the legislature is
imminent and as yet no ade-
quate law has been enacted to
I prescribe the method by which
| assessment and taxation of min
ing property may be undertak
en- by the state tax commission,
| l taking the liberty of calling
attention to the urgent need of
such 4 measure by the operation
of which an equitable distribu-
| tion of the tax burden among
mines of all different classes may
| be determined by the character
of their ore bodies, their rate of
production and the extent and
nature of the improvements.
In the first place, l regard it as
essential that the commissioners
be clothed with such powers as
are necessary to the effective
| performance of their duties rel
ative to the taxing of mines,
! and, secondly, it is in my Opin-
ion not less essential that in
the equalization of taxation, full
| justice be done to all the peo-
| pie of Arizona and the owners
of mines as well. With these OBJ
lects in view, and with full
realization of the depth and COM
/ plexity of the economic prob
lem involved in the fair assess
ment and collection of revenue
from owners of mining proper
ties, | believe that Senate Bill
No. 3, offers in all it's more
prominent features as good and
! reasonable solution of the mine
taxation question as can be
| cured in the time allowed and
with the information available.
/ This measure, in the form in
/ which it now awaits approval
by the senate and providing, as
/ it does, for the assessment and