The copper era and Morenci leader., 1918-09-06

islator upon public affairs, for fail ure to attend nullifies such attitude and the effect of the attitude or in- fluence that the legislator may take or exert. Upon this point frankly submit to you Mir. Lynch's record of attendance upon the second and third special sessions of the First State Legislature of the State of Arizona when he was member of the House from Graham county. During the Second Special Session, MT. Lynch was absent and not excused on the 10th, 18th, 24th, 18th, 27th and 18th days of February and the 1st, 3rd, 4th, 5th, 9th, 7th, 10th, 11th, 12th and 18th days of March. Upon each of these days the legislature was in session and transacting most impor- tant business to the state and during that session of 51 working days MT. Lynch was absent 16 days and not excused. During the Third Special Session of the First Legislature, MT. Lynch was absent and not excused on the 18th, 17th and Fist day of April and the 2nd, 3rd, 5th, 7th, 14th and 16th days of May. During this session of 26 working days MT. Lynch was absent and not excused days.
 MT. Lynch states in his advertise ment "there will be beyond doubt an effort on the part of capital to provide tax laws that will reduce the burden of their taxation. Such laws have been before every legisla- ture since we have become a state and it is reasonable to assume that they will be brought forth again." For the information of the electors of this county, I wish to state that since statehood there has been but one mine tax law upon the statute books of this state, which was passed by the House of the Third Special Session of the First Legislature of the State of Arizona at session when MT. Lynch was absent. This law was effective for two years from the date of it's passage. The Second Legislature of the State of Arizona convening on the first day of Janu- ary, 1915, failed to continue, or re- new this law or to pass another in it's stead and at that time it was gen orally conceded that under the laws of this state, the State Tax Commis- sion had the power to fix the as- sessed valuation of mines within the state. And from that time on the Tax Commission composed of mem bers elected by the people has and now does fix the assessed valuation of the mines of this state for the purpose of taxation, and this power and function of the State Tax Com mission has never been questioned in any court of law in the state.
 Since the enactment of the above mentioned tax law and since the Tax Commission assumed the power and duty of fixing the assessed valuation of the mines of this state, there has been no attempt on the part of any interest or of any legislature of this state to amend or repeal that law or to deny that power and function to the State Tax Commission. By this system of taxation the productive mines of this state are assessed on the. basis of production, a plan ad- mitted on all sides as the only fair basis of mine taxation, and since it's institution has met with the support and approval of the Governor of the State, the members of the State Tax Commission, the legislatures of the State and the people of the State of Arizona.
 This argument on the part of MT. Lynch is most fallacious and mis- leading. For a period of five years we have been operating under this Esystem of mine taxation and by vir- tue of it's operation the mining prop critics of this state have acquired a certain assessed valuation for the purposes of taxation. When valua- tions of property have been fixed and continued over such a period of years, they have become standard ized and any reasonable person knows that such standardization of value is not subject to any radical change, either up or down, and that such assessed valuation so fixed and standardized is subject to fluctu- ation up or down as justified in the progress of time by an apparent change in the value of the property.
 I now am and since attaining my majority have been affiliated with the Democratic party. Study of his tory and economics and particularly of the political history of the United States, has long convinced me that the liberties of the people and the perpetuation of the principles upon