Weekly Trinity journal., 1857-12-26
Shall Mining Claims be Taxcds

expressed our views thereon freely and fairly,
giving, as we thought, sufficient reasons why
mining claims should OF be taxed as other pro-
pery.
This question is being much agitated throug-
out the State at the present time, particularly in
the lower agricultural counties, where the tax
payers cry loudly for the passage of law for
that purpose. 1t is not strange that the citizens
of those counties in which there are no mnes
should make such demand, but it does seem
little singular that any considerable number of
people living in, or that paper published in q
mining district should advocate such a measure
as that of taxing mining claims. From the fol-
lowing article, which we clip frota the Union
Democrat, it will be seen that that paper, pub
lished in one of the richest mining regions of the
State suggests that the next Legislature should
pass law to tax quartz and well defined mining
claims
We trust that the next Legislature will see not
only the utility but the necessity of taxing quartz
claims {; in fact law should be so framed as to
include all extensive and well defined mining
claims, not only quartz. but tunnel and placer
mining. We can see reason why u person
owning mining claim that will last seven years
perhaps for a century. yielding him annually his
thousands of dollars, should not be taxed as well
as the farmer and business man. We say per-
haps for a century advisedly, for we have in our
mind : eye several claims in this county that will
be worked we candidly believe. for centuries to
come. The law however, should be so framed as
not to be oppressive on the needy miner. 1t would
be well. perhaps, to exempt mining claim to the
extent of five hundred dollars from assessment ;
but all others in proper working order should
certainly pay their quota. To be consistent with
the last qualification, claims of every description
should be exempt while in the preparatory or
opening process and should there be oppres-
sive assessment, the remedy could be with the
Board of Equalization. 1t is very simple mat
ter and requires but little legislation; but that
little should be plain and to the point. Let there
be q inst and equitable law passed taxing mining
claims, we propose, and the assess ment roll Of
Tuoumne county, three years hence. will foot up
six millions of dollars. Then, at two thirds the
current rate of taxation, we would not only pay
our expenses, but we would, within ten years,
pay ourselves out of debt without feeling it. Let
our Solons, to assemble in Sacramento this win
ter, look to this
Attempts have been made, we believe, at every
session of the Legislature since the formation Of
our State government, to enact law similar to
that suggested by the Democrat, but thus far the
good judgment of our law makers in this respect,
however bad it may have been in Others has de-
feated the accomplishment of snch an object
Quartz mills and machinery, and water dtches
fumes wheels &C., are taxed, and properly, be-
cause in them there is fixed property, as well
as fixed and certain value but how an Asses
sor would proceed to estimate the value of min
ing claim, we cannot readily see. Those who
have lived in the mines and have labored in the
mud and water daily with pick and shovel, for a
living, or for months and years in expectation of
making "pile," know we'll from sad experience
that mining claims are the most unreliable species
of property that ever fell into man S possession.
There seems to be nothing real, tangible or GER
tain about them one day they pay-well, per
haps, and the lucky owner is in ecstacy over his
" prospects," the next they fail, and for weeks
and months the now unlucky owner cannot make
his salt from claim which only short time be-
fore he would not have sold for hundreds-per-
haps thousands of dollars. Would it be right to
have taxed this miners prospect" at time
when he thought it valuable, but when it was in
reality worthless?
There can be no fixed value to a mining claim.
The owners and workers Themselves will tell you
in all candor that they cannot fix value upon
them. 1t is true, mining claims are often bought
and sold but go to the purchaser or vendor and
he will tell you that the transaction is like two
school boys trading jack-knves, " unsigbt and
unseen" the buyer having but very indefinite
idea Of what he has bargained for; the seller an
equally uncertain knowledge of the value of the
bo hoe - cloin IN
day hundreds of claims stakcd off in Trinity CO.,
and being prospected at heavy cost of capital
and labor which the owners would not sell for
thousands perhaps, although not cent has been
realized from them, but which in the end may
turn out as worthless for mining purposes as the
granite hills of New England. Would it, we ask
in all conscience, be right fair and honest to tax
the prospect" of miners under such circumstan-
ces? Our friends of the agricultural districts
are laboring under a grand mistake when they
assert that the mining counties do not contribute
their just proportion of revenue towards the sup
port of the State government. And our property
holders here are equally mistaken in supposing
that the mining portion of the community pay no
taxes. Were it not for the miner, where would
the money come from to pay the taxes of our
valley friends The miner it is who pays the
taxes of the merchant, the farmer and the me-
chanic. Indirectly he pays all our taxes, and in
reality supports the government; and yet, not
content with this, portion of the State not di'
rectly interested in producing the gold, are de-
manding law to tax the mining claim, or ra-
ther prospect" of this class of our citizens who
have done so much to render the State prosper
GUS and make it what it is Such law would
be an outrage upon the mining community, and
one to which they will not readily submit.
The coolest thing we have seen on this subject,
is the proposition of the San Jose Tribune, pub
lished in Santa Clara, one of the COW countless
to transfer the connties' share of the foreign mi
ners license tax to the State Now this is simply