Arizona republican., 1915-01-29
Where the People
 May Have Hearing
THE ARIZONA STATE DEBT
 By C. B. Wood

Oy Ss D. w OOu
 Figures do Tot lie bat other people 1 figure sometimes.
 ln the last thirty days | have. as | have many others. attended several i banquets and gatherings in the city of Phoenix for the ostensible purpose of 1 "dispclling gloom and boosting" the | state of Arizona
 At both of these banquets the fair name of Arizona was vllified and ab- solute misrepresentations were made in regard to the debt and finances of this great state of ours.
 i Not only were these misrepresenta- : tions voiced at these banuuets but they have been printed in many newspapers i of the state and telegraphed to many i papers published outside of the state. doing great harm to the state and much : injury to it's fair name and credit i II has been repeated over and over ! that Arizona has one of the greatest I per capita debts in the union. being third in the list according to these statements. It has been published over and over again that the state debt of Arizona is $3,009.27529.
 The fact is that the state debt of Arizona is $910,972.43 or less than one ! third of the amount proclaimed by i these speakers who would dispel gloom i and who would boost the state of Afi- zona and reform her finances. i Arizona has not only one of the small i lest state debts in the United States ! but that debt is in the best shape of  most any state debt in the union. and the provisions made for it's payment make it no burden or handicap upon i the future development or finances of the state
 We could pay the entire debt of the state of Arizona by direct taxation in two years and one-half of the people woldn't know they were being taxed for that purpose but most of this debt has been provided for by gifts of public lands to the state for this very purpose and for the meeting of the very kind of expense that necessitated the pres cnt bonded indebtedness
 A large share of this indebtedness was created by the issuance of bonds for the building of the capitol building. buildings fer the University of Arizona. buildings for the asylum for the insane and for permanent improvemenN at other state institutions. and to cover same we have been granted large tracts of land to meet said bonds whenever they should come due.
 Now there is a county indetedness of S1.961 ,S04.S7, which under act of con- grcss was refunded by the state of Ari- zona in order that lower rate of in- terest might be secured for these counties. Also as d similar indebted ness on the cities of Prescott. Tomb stone and Tucson of S130.497.99. which has similarly been refunded. A million acres Of land have been given to cover q large share of this county indebted ness, and none of this refunded debt is state indebtedness. It has never cost the state dollar and there is not the slightest chance that it ever will Yet this city and county indebtedness is tackled on to the state and heralded all over the nation as state debt of Arizona-by boosters?
 We want capital here, we want peo- nle to come here and make their homes we want to boost the state and 'dispe gloom. and yet we placed in an ab- solutcly false position, absolutely un- true position before the fvesting pub lie, before the home builder. and they are told that the. state debt is such ar immense burden that it can scarcely be borne Not only this but they are giver to understand that this debt is largely due to the present state administration
 There has not been one dollar of sait Indebtedness created since Arizona be- came state. Every dollar of the state indebtedness was created year: ago, and since it's creation has beer handled wisely and well and there art 2 few states in the United States tha can boast of so small a total state debt CT per capita debt, or any other olt kind of state debt
 Sometimes I think these misrepreser tations have been made on account O ignorance, sometimes maliciously sometimes both ignorantly and malic iously. but however that might be there is one thing that is certain.-n' man wno makes such assertions or re peats them has a right to be called { friend of the state of Arizona or de serves the slightest consideration at th' hands of the people of the state.
 Any man or set of men who snor antly or malioiously islander the fai name of the state and who by voice O. pen attack the credit of state should be requested to go way back and si down" and forevermore hold the peace.