Bisbee daily review., 1922-07-26

! the preceding five years is added and an average struck; this average is considered the valuation of the pro ducing mine for the present year. The tax commission is said to be consid- ering extending the period from which an average is taken to more than five years).
 State Expenses Growing
 s. J. Dull, a statistician, presented several charts and graphs, especially prepared for the conference, at the opening of the afternoon session. These charts were prepared, he said, to show the increasing cost of state government and the manner in which mine valuations had been increased far out of proportion to increases on other classes of property during the last eight or nine years.
 "The cost of government" said Dull, Should follow the dollar value. The peak of prosperity was in 1917 IS. Since then there has been a per iod of deflation. But instead of slow ly dropping. with the dollar value, from 1918, the costs of state govern ment steadily increased. Everything else has dropped, yet it costs more to run our state now than ever before, approximately $17,000,000.
 Industries throughout the state have been forced to appreciate the value of the dollar, but the state gov ernment has not.
 The assessed valuation of produc- ing mines in Arizona has been stead fly increased until today it carries 5S.63 per cent of the states total val nation. Other classes of property have registered proportionate shrink age, not because of any particular de- crease in value, but because the valu- ation of mines has been showed up to carry more of the load.
 Industry should not be expected to maintain costs set during the peak of prosperity, in times of depression"
 Referring to the plan of the tax commission to extend beyond five years the period on which mine pro- duction averages are based, Dull charged this was only an arbitrary plan to include the more prosperous year. 1916, in order that the average for this year and the valuation of pro- ducing mines might be kept at high CT figure than if the old method were followed.
 C0arR6O could not justify changing it's method of fixing mine valuation; if it made the change, he said, it merely proved that it could shift it's methods at will to the advantage or disadvantage of the mines. The old method, he claimed would tend to equalize the burden. |
 There was little discussion follow ing Dull's talk. Charles R. Howe, q Q firm Nf hn fnfA denied that any decision had been reached regarding the increase of the average period, but admitted the com mission was considering such a plan, which would include the 1916 produc- tion and maintain a higher average.
 Resuming the routine work, the con- ference checked over several items on assessment rolls, including the following:
 Improvements on patented and un- patented producing mines showing an increase in the state valuation of $S9O,643.
 Non-producing mines-showing an increased valuation of $6,654 ,2O3, due to many former producers being forced into the non-producing class last year.
 Improvements on non producing mines-showing a decrease of 419,604, generally caused by the dismantiling of several properties.
 Shelters and appurtanceB-showin a decrease of $6,25S,672.
 centrators-decrease of $1,264,- 252.
 Mining machinery and supplies showing increase of $1,694,635.
 Shelter SupplieS-ShoWing decrease of $1,156,073.
 Saw mills and y-showing an increase of $21195 i