Santa Fe weekly gazette. [volume] (Santa Fe, N.M.) 1864-1869, 1865-02-25

Tits MNFGM LANns,-It having become
toarably certain that the National Gov
cmmont will adopt some means to dcriyoa
revenue from the mineral lands through
out its dOmiuious, much weli-founled an
xicty exists in reference to the manner in
which thsroycnuc will be obtained; whcth-
or in collecting q license from miners,
tax on the gross or net proceeds Of the
mnos, or the sale Of thom themselves.
We have met with but few intelligent min
ers who object t0pay reasonable tax for
tho privilege Of working on tho public do
main, under the present condition Of ma
tional affairs, but all object to selling the
mineral lands. Hundreds with whom we
have cOnyorsed on this subject, among
whom were m cx-NIcmbcr Of Congress,
many rich mill and mine owners and or
binary working men, all express That the
rcodicst, least costly, most effective and
most satisfactory plan would be to tax the
gold itself at the Mat as it is now, by u
slight increase, Those who obtain the
most thereby paying the most taxes. 1t
cannot be successfully denied that even
this plan, though the best that probably
can be devised, is not free from great evils
in its effects. Such tax falls directly on
the producer, and on him alone. Gold
being an article of fixed value, it is worth
Il stated price in all countries, and in this
respect it differs from everything else. II
the Government levy tax on the farmers
produce or the manufacturers stock, they
can increase the price of these things, and
cause the increase Of taxation to fall par
TALLY or altogether on the consumer, but
with gold the producer cannot do this, It's
value is fixed.
TO grant licenses to mine, as is done in
Australia, would be almost impraCticablC
in thi. country. 1t would not do to en-.
ploy commissioners" as the Collector,
in Australia are styled, to reside on the
gold fields here: and it would be altOgoth.
or rcpugnant to our republican opinions
to have Il body Of infantry or cavalry con.
stantly patrolling the mining districts, ar
resting every man who could not produce
his license to mine, ms is the practic,
, thcro.
10 tax the gross proceeds Of any ymiuinj
claim is wrong in principle, and unfair t,
the owners Of the richest mines, but posi-
lively ruinous to the owners of those tha
, are poor or but partially developed. Th
, mines that yield one, two or ten per cent
! per month dividend, could Of course pa,
, such n tax out of thcir profits, but tho min
. which, though yielding bullion, does no
> pay its expenses, such tax must be pai
out of pockets Of the shareholders. Man
: an ounce Of gold that reaches the Mint ha
, cost its ownor treble its value.
To tax the net profits Of mines would b
an impossibility, because nearly ono.hA'
= of the mines in the State being owned {
+ controlled by Copporhcads, means woul
q be used to cvOdO tho payment Of such
I tax; besides, the net prJats of mines al
!. already taxed us the income of tho shar,
}, holders.
d TO soil the mineral lands would bo pos
Q lively runous to this State. Wo hay
70 heard but one argument advanced by tho,
h who favor thersale-that such sale woul,
d by giving the miners "titlO" to the
r. claims. cause them to settle, to n1vor see
}. for fresh fields when the old ones wcI
m worked out. TO support such an argr
!. mont, its advocates say, divide the min
If eral lands into small parcels, say fort
Ia acres, and sell them to the miners. An
III person who is Mt all cOnyersant with mir
m ing ground will understand what clai
ic of forty acres Of some of the ground
M this county would he worth. Tho own
NJ Of such claim would be a milliOnair
10 while the owner Of forty acres Of surfa
he diggings would be worse off with, thr
O, without bis "titedp ground if he We
is compelled to remain on it and pay take
il An enlerprising man who has left the hon
Of his childhood, family and friends,
n. better bis fortune here, would never wo
c. poor claim as long as no has a prospc
ve al obtaining better one.
Of No man can tell what wealth lies hi
O. don beneath the soil Of this State, 1t
al by the employment Of labor and cay
cd tai that the valuo Of d mine is ascertai
nd able. For this reason, were there mo otht
gh 1t is impossible to sell the mineral Ian
nd without doing injury to the country a
of injustice to tho people, Grass Vdi
its Union. ...