Arizona sun., 1948-08-27
Vernon B. Croaff
Says Tax All State
And Indian Lands

Vernon B. Croaff, Democratic
Candidate for Representative il
Congress from the First Arizona
District {Maricopa County,, in &
talk to campaign workers at his
headquarters yesterday, said:
''Carry these facts to the people
"The recent decision of the State
Supreme Court comforting voting
rights on the Indians is fundamen-
tally sound. But, by the arbitrary
action of the Government Bureaus
at Washington, Federal officials
are using that decision to unload
upon the people of the State of
Arizona the burden of old age ben
efitS and other assistance to the
Indians. This is primarily the re-
sponsibility of the Federal Gov
ernment, which, despite the eman-
cipation of the Indians, still holds,
under their complete and exclusive
control, millions of acres of Indian
lands and property, and are telling
the people of Arizona to keep
hands off, and not tax that Indian
property.
"The Indian lands and the other
Federal Government lands in Ari-
zona amount to about IS percent
of all lands in our State. The Fed
eral Government, through it's Bu-
reauS, say we cannot tax any of
that land.
II PROPOSE" said Mr.. Croaff,
"when sent to Washington as your
Representative in Congress, to do
something about it.
"The Indian reservation lands
should be released by the Federal
Government from the status of tax
free lands, SO that the State of Ari-
zona, the Counties and School Dis
tricts, where the land is located,
may tax such lands, as all other
privately owned lands are now
taxed by the State and the Coun-
ties.
"The Federally owned millions
of acres of other lands, not being
used for strictly Government pur-
poses, now tax free, cannot be
taxed by the State and Counties
of the State. But, there has been
before the House of Representa-
tives of the Congress for years,
and not acted upon, law making
a grant from the Federal Govern
ment to the State Of sufficient
money, in lieu of taxes, to equal
iZe the burden of the State in
which Federal owned lands are
located, so that those Federal lands
may carry just proportion of the
tax burden.
1.-THE Federal Government per-
sists in keeping tax free most of
Arizona's lands. Let Congress be
just and authorize payment, in lieu
of taxes, of a sufficient sum of
money to the State in proportion
to the value the Federal lands have
with lands privately owned.
Congress should also immedi-
ately provide funds to carry the
burden, which morally and legally
belongs to the Federal Govern
ment, to support needy Indians,
until such time as the law can be
changed to release Indian lands
for taxation by the State, the
Counties and the School Districts.
Congress must act Immediately
at the coming session to save the
economic life of Arizona. The peo-
pie of Arizona will no longer bend
under the burden that the Federal
Departments are showing on to our
shoulders, unless we can tax the
Indian lands, or have Congress
make just and equitable payments
of funds, in lieu of taxes, on the
millions of acres of lands held back
from the people by the National
Government.
GAS your next Congressman, I
propose to fight day and night to
correct these injustices to the peo-
pie, and especially the children,
of Arizona" said Mr.. Croaff.