Mohave County miner., 1913-03-29
Mining Men Discuss Taxation.

This week the big mining men of Arizona met at Phenix and discussed the matter of mine taxation with leg lslators and the tax commission, but it is thought nothing will result from the conference. The mine owners be lieve that to tax the mines on the gross production of the mine and then upon its improvements and acreage is going very far toward double taxation, but they are willing to concede the taxation of the net production plus one-eighth of the gross, as well as it's further physical valuation. This would be far greater taxation than that levied upon any other form of property within the state. Maricopa, the county making the greatest effort to fix a heavy tax against the mines, is paying tax on acreage of about ten per cent of what they claim to be its selling value, and that while it's cattle, high graded stock, is valued far be- low that of the ungraded stock of thls county. Lands valued at from 3O0$ to lOO0$ per acre, under the big canals of the Salt River, are assessed at 30S per acre, and in many instances less, but should the commission require that these same lands be put in at their full market value there would be one of the greatest howls eyer heard in the state going up higher than the rarifed atmosphere of that sultry country. Phenix believes it to be the prerogative of the Phoenicians to tax the other fellow until he hol- lers, but never get in the pinch him. self. A mining company can come into the state and expend millions to put mining property on producing basis, but the moment this desired object is attained these tax evaders of Phoenix want to jump onto them and tax them on what they have and what they expect to get during the natural life of their property. The mine owners are willing to pay their just proportion of tax, and more, pro- vided the same rule is applied to the farmers and hot air merchants In the farming counties of the state. One of the measures that met with the op- position of the mining men was the Finlay method, which is in use in Michigan, where it has not proven a success, being opposed by both mine- owners and other taxpayers.
 From Chloride comes the re port that stopes have been opened on the 700 level of the Tennessee mine and two cars of heavy lead ore is being sent to the surface daily. This lead will run about 60 per cent metal and also carries some gold and silver. The vein in the Stopes show five feet of ore, while the rest of the great vein has large bodies of milling rock In winze sunk below the 700 the vein has wdened to seven feet of solid lead, and it is expected that when the drift that is being driven along the 900 level reaches the shoot that one o' the greatest bodies of lead ore opened in any mine will be found. About B feet will have to be run before the shoot is cut, but the work is being rushed along with all possible speed and within the next four weeks the pay ground will be entered. The ore now showing in the drift is of an ex cellent milling grade. Miners that have seen the ore from the 900 level predict that great copper zone will be encountered within short dis. tance below the present level. It is also understood that gold and silver values are on the increase on the 900 The mine is now sending to the smelt- CT and concentrators POO tons of ore daily.
 The big de la Vergne engine that is