The copper era and Morenci leader., 1913-03-28
MINE OWNERS ARE OPPOSED ID THE
 F|NLAY PLAN
Hearing Before the Senate and House
 to Mine Taxation in the State.

Opposition on the part of represent
 atives of practically all the big min
 ing companies of Arizona to the Michi-
 gan method of taxing mines on ad
 valoreum valuation was the principal
 feature of the hearing held before
 the finance committees of the house
 and senate at Phoenix this week.
 Most of the mining men expressed
 a willingness to accept as compro-
 mise some method of assessing mines
 on combination of net and gross
 production. Two of them, however,
 declaring that net production was the
 only equitable and proper basis. All
 declared that the percentage of pro-
 duction proposed in the Howe-Miller
 bill are too high
 c. B. Wood, chairman of the sen ate finance committee, acted as chair man at the meeting All the mem- bers of both finance committees were present and many other legislators were keenly interested listeners.
 The principal address on behalf of the mining companies was made by J. Parke Charming, consulting engin ger of the Miami Copper company. MT. Charming spoke mainly about the Fin lay method, used in Michigan. There are marked differences between the mines of Michigan and Arizona, he said. There the copper ore lies in l sheets. The sheets are usually of uniform thickness and when one is 1 followed down a thousand feet or so 1t is an easy matter to determine ! the probable extent of tho deposit. In1 addition to this fact, the mining com- panies of Michigan often own timber i lands, boats and other property val uable even after the mines are ex- hausted. In Arizona the equipment placed on mine is worth practically out
 Most of Arizona's s mines are differ ent from those of Michigan, said MT. The veins and shoots in the Copper Queen, Old Dominion, Cai- umet & Arizona, United Verde and
 
 width Until the ore has been blocked cut on three sides no one can be cer- tain that it is there. The blanket deposits of Ray and some of the Morenci mines can be estimated with accuracy.
 ir. Charming drew attention to the act that the value of a mine de ;reases every time a pound of ore is aken out. It does not increase in TaIue with use, as does a farm.
 The first speaker on behalf of the ( mining companies was Norman Car , michael, general manafer of the Ari- ona Copper company, at Clifton. MT. I told of the meeting of mining men n Phoenix last Novem- Ter, when it was agreed that a com ination of net and gross value would Fe accepted as a basis of assessment. II least ninety-fve per cent of the :. nine owners of the state, he said, greed to that arrangement. Subse- uently a bill was drawn providing ent of the output, 12 1-2 per cent of he gross and the physical value of d quipment and improvements i' Mr. Carmichael said that the prin- iple of the bill presented by Tax U commissioners P. J. Miller and harles R. Howe is right. It is the r snle principle as the mine owners IL toposed in their bill, but the per U sntages are much higher. Howe and U iller would tax every mine on it's u et output; in addition they would al x those producing a million dollars !" more each year on the gross out It; those producing more than $500,- VI 70 and less than $1,000,000 on sev- " lty-five per cent of the gross; those u less than half a million, on Ill If the gross. No system of taxation that can ever
 devised, MT. Carmichael asserted, Il be regarded by everyone as ell uitable between the mines. hu J. w. Bennie, general manager of es 2 Shannon Copper company, stated WI at his concern had always stood kn a tax based on net production SC me. He predicted that protests ru uld be made by many of the big ST were any other basis used. co V. l.. Amster, president of the an agreed with MT. Bennie. He sti clared that the price of production arr bullion varies widely, therefore no Tiff, on gross output can be equitable. int