The Placer herald., 1863-12-19
From the Marysu'lle Exprese.
TAXING THE MINES.

Is becoming serious matter of discussion
10y the Republican press. The Erpress was
the first paper on this coast that cautioned
miners against the proposed tax, and inform
ed them that such Il measure was aoitated at
Washington. The Abolition press pronoun
ced it a secession lie," and said no such
measure WAS thought Of Well, the election
is over, and now the subject is discussed
openly, The San Francisco Bulletin of the
28th of November, refers to the matter as
follows:
Yesterday we published from the New
York Tribune an article in which it was
coolly proposed to kill the goose that LAYS
the golden egg. The Tribune shares with
the people Of the East generally ani the
Commissioner Of the General Land Office in
particular, the idea that California, Nevada,
Arizona and Idaho are Just made up of gold
and silver; that the bedrock consists of pre-
cious ores with indeed good, thick vegeta-
bic mould covering it, and occasionally
boulder of quartz, that is sure to reward
crushing for the gold it dilutes The 7ri
6une article was worth reading, though rath.
er too ridiculous TO answer seriously Its
assumption is that when this war is ended
we shall have national debt Of 50 ,OeO, ,OOO,-
600. 1t is proposed to pay the current years
expenses Of Government with the customs;
to pay the interest of the debt with the pro-
ceeds Of the Internal Revenue Tax, and to
wipe out the debt itself in the course of
thrty-hve years by levying tax upon the
mines. But the Commissioner of the Land
Office upon whose estimates the Tribune
bases its calculations is not exclusive in his
regards-he does not mean by mines those
that yield precious metals alone, but all
coal, tin, lead, iron, copper, quicksilver, as
well as silver and gold. Tax the whole eight
per cent. for fifteen years, seven per cent. for
the following ten years, and six per cent. for
the concluding ten of the nineteenth century,
and the Union, T.. D. 1900, won't owe a dol
lal! 1t is pretty scheme to which there
are only two or three fatal objections First,
the estimated produce of the mines is put
out OF all reason too high. Secondly, six
per cent on most of the mines that Caitor
ma has any acquaintance, would close them
up. There are few exceptions, but it is
doubtful whether the great body Of miners in
California get eight per cent. on the value of
their work and tools, in addition to their
living. Coal sells in New York this winter
at $40 ton; tax it eight per cent. and tie
people of the East will 90 prospecting for
turf to burn Instead. OF gold, the expe-
rlence OF most California miners agrees that
1t costs very nsar dollar to get ont dol
lars worth with. few men, getting con-
troll of very rich claims realize fortunes in
its pursuit; the majority fad little left over
OF their digging, after feeding, clothing and
decently caring for themselves and their fam
lilies. Thirdly, sad error in the calculation
is that the heavy taxation Of an article will
increase its production. The Commissioner
reckons the annual production of all our
mines now at &l50000OO0. After thirty
years Of taxing them from six to eight per
cent per annum he calculates the annual
product at 81 500 100000 The last sum
ought to be reduced by striking off two fig.
ures, and we more than suspect the way to
arrive at the true product, after the Commits
sonel's burden of taxation is imposed, would
be by striking off the two figures at the left
hand.
But Oh this whole matter the people of
the East aud at Washington persist at ook-
ing with yellow magnfers. Anthracite
must blaze and simmer through their specta-
cles like gold; and we doubt if they dare deny
that nuggets of the finest metal ever assayed
ore occasionally fished out as large as Mont
gomery Block. In this view of the subject,
it is really one thing to be thankful for tbs
New York company has purchased Mari
posa and lobby company the New Alma
den. When they have worked those indu'
bitably rich mines for a few years, they will
probably see things more as they seem from
the Pacific slope, and confess that it takes a
mine to work mine.
Son Arl,IIrS IN Iinpcrc a & Sinuors al