Arizona republican., 1919-07-16

at more than a half million dollars. This money should have been paid over to the state long ago. said Ross yesterday and its payment now will save the state much interest on reg istered warrants that we will otherwise be compelled to pay
 The letter sent by the state treasurer in part states:
 The Treasurer's Letter
 T hereby make formal demand upon you, as treasurer of Gila county, to transmit forthwith to this office by the usual bank draft the states propor- ton of all taxes collected by you from the Inspiration Consolidated Copper company and the International Smelt- ing company for the years 1917 and 1918, which were paid under protest, together with all interest collected thereon.
 T also send you herewith a copy of the opinion received by me from the attorney general upon this subject and from said opinion you will readily see that the state should have received it's proportion of the taxes at the end of 1 the month in which collected If the suit had-been adverse to the state and county the state would have been as well able to reimburse the taxpayer as the county.
 Tn the matter of interest, no doubt you have had this money in the banks of your county drawing at least two per cent and probably four per cent on some of it and this interest you have credited to the general fund of the county. Now the attorney general holds | that the state is entitled to it's propor- ton of said interest, hence my request for same
 You will note that the attorney general holds that this must be trans nitted within ten days from date"
 The opinion of the attorney general, signed by Alex Baker, assistant, re- ferred to in the above letter, in part reads as follows:
 Tn my opinion, the county treasurer of Gila county must, within ten days after the receipt by him of an order from you requiring the money in the county treasury belonging to the state to be transmitted to the state treasury transmit all moneys collected by him for the state, including the states DOT tion of the taxes paid by the Inspira- tion Consolidated Copper company under protest, for the years 1917 anc 1918. The fact that these taxes were | pd1Q uIlueE protest ana that there may be suit pending in reference to the same, does not relieve the country treasurer from paying to the state sucf portion of said taxes that may belong to the state.
 NYour inquiry is in reference to tn, taxes paid by the Inspiration Consoli dated Copper company only. I ma, say in this regard, that the Interna tional Smelling company of Gil; county also paid it's taxes for 191 and 1918 under protest and has case pending in reference to the same. | state this for your information as tn county treasurer may also be holdin, the states portion of the taxes pal, l by the International Smelling com | pany.
 | The supreme court of the state ha rendered decisions in favor of the con
 tention of the state in both the In spiraticn Consolidated Copper compan
 and International Smelling compan
 cases, but the time for filing motion
 for rehearing has not yet expired an J consequently no mandate has yet bee
 issued by the supreme court. How
 ever the fact that these cases are sti 1 pending is not sufficient reason for tn
 refusal of the county treasurer to pa
 to the state it's portion of the taxes