Arizona republican., 1921-06-04
REPORT LET-UP IN SIGNING PETITIONS
 AGAINST BILL 03
Communicated


 There has been a marked let-up in the signing of referendum petitions against house bill No. s3. and it is now problematical whether the enc mics of reclamation will succeed in securing enough names to defeat con- sideration of this important consu- tutional amendment
 Now that the public in general and the farmers in particular are begin ming to realize the true significance of this measure. and what it will mean to them in the matter of secur- ing a larger number of people. to share the administrative expense of state government. petition workers are finding 1t increasingly difficult to make their daily wage at 20 cents per name and. in some instances. are said to be threatening to cease their efforts unless the rate per name is raised.
 While the proposed constitutional amendment will be of particular ben eft to irrigation districts, its general benefit to the state will be tremen- dous. for 1t means simply this: Added population. increased taxable land area, and hence a less per capita tax to carry on the state government than at present
 | From which it will. be seen that every community and every industry and every taxpayer. big and small. will be benefited. Even the big ocp- per interests of Arizona. which today pay SO per cent of the taxes. will be helped in that the development of agriculture will take just that much from the burden of taxation they are carrying today.
 When these facts are taken into consideration it is thought strange
 that the mining interests should bs
 concerned in the defeat of so meri- torious measure. and yet this il
 exactly. what is happening. for iron reliable sources it is learned that thu
 big mining companies are backing thu
 referendum and presumably payinI , the workers for securing rames. The development of reclamation fl Arizona. coupled with a development of hydro-eiectric power. Is the saliva
 ton of the state. according to thos
 who have followed the trend of event
 during the last two decades or so.
 Nevada. for instance. was aliv
 with mineral development at on
 time. Vast wealth was wrested. iron
 her rich deposits of gold. silver and i
 seemed inevitable that prosperit
 would continue. Then came a dwin
 ding of the mineral resources. tn
 mines were being worked out On by one the famous properties close | down. the population dropped off. an with the exception of limited areai Nevada lapsed into a state approach
 ing the condition in which the earl : argonauts first found her. a barre desert.
 . Arizona is destined to follew 1 , the footsteps of her sister state, ur IF less steps are taken at this time { e develop reclamation on a scale con IT mensurate with the vast natural rs - sources at the command of the CT e gineers- This Is the object of hou, d bill S3. or rather the constitution = amendment which 1t provides sha lt be submittde to the people at an ele, l. ton to be held November S.
 The measure Is gaining favor evel h day, and this is shown by the fla d that in many instances persons wi -- inadvertently placed their names ( IF the petitions against 1t are deman, s. ing that they be stricken off