Walker Lake bulletin. (Hawthorne, Nev.) 1883-1926, 1894-02-14
Questions Answered.

tries, and inviting any person to an
swer them, and state what effect the
proposed tariff bill will have, and to
give views as to the cause of prevail
ing business depression; also to sug-
gest practicable remedies therefor.
Subjoined will be found the an
swer of S. A. Knapp of Hawthorne.
We commend it to the careful peru
sal not only of Mr. Voorhees,, but to
every reader of the BULLETIN. it is
the truth. Read it:
Hon. d. w. VOORHEES,, Chairman
u. S. Senate Finance Committee
Dear Sir
A set of interrogatories has been
handed me with request to give an
swers TO same, so far as they are
applicable TO this section of the coun-
try, and particularly Esmeralda
county, Neyaas.
The industries upon which the peo-
pie depend are:
Gold and silver and lead mining,
!. The manufacture OF borax, and
The manufacture of soda.
A few people follow agriculture,
depending upon the strictly mining
communities for their market.
Some raise sheep and cattle, de-
pending upon home and outside mar
.ket for the sale of same.
Incidentally few railroad men find
employment, depending largely upon
the success of the miners, and borax
and soda magpfactories.
The mineral industry is thus the
basis OF all business and employ
ment, aside from the few engaged in
stock raising.
Silver mining has been almost
completely stopped, the only silver
ores at present mined being associat-
ed with aead-at which class of min
ing about 40 or so men are employed.
A reduction Of the duty on lead as
proposed would destroy this resource
entirely. In 1891 about 400 men
were employed in the silver and sill
ver-lead mines, and incident thereto
about 100 more were employed about
the mills and in getting out fuel for
the silver mills. AS result of the
legislation adverse to silver, there
fore, 450 men have been deprived of
employment, and over $1,000, 900
worth of property is standing idle,
and rapidly being destroyed.
The Borax Industry, which has
been Of great Importance in this
county, is depressed by the fear of a
change in the tariff, and stocks are
being rapidly reduced. The present.
rate OF duty is On borax crude Tor
borate of soda or borate of lime) 3
cents per pound; refined borax, 5
cents per pound. Borax prices
range about II to n in San Fran
cisco (the general market). 1t is
proposed to take off nearly all the
duty. This, by admitting the Asiatic
and South American crude borates
duty free, will Undoubtedly close up
this industry, throwing about 100
people out of employment and de-
stroying the value of the plants,
worth at present probably about
5000 600
The manufacture of soda is Q new
industry in this section, having had
its commencement in 1923, before
any change was proposed IN the tar
if that would affect it, The soda
occurs in natural, deposits, as solu-
ton in lakes, and as dry deposits
(desiccated lakes), the various forms
produced being bi.carbonate of soda,
sesqui.cS rbonate, anhydrous mono
carbonate, or soda ash.
rBi-carbonate of soda at present
bears duty of l cent per pound. 1t
is proposed to reduce this to cent
per pound. Sesqui-carbonate comes
under the same heading and is SINH
larly affected, On soda ash there
is no change from the old law, the
rate being IS per ton (and it SHOULD
be $40 per tom.
The proposed reduction in duty
if carried into effect will stop the
production Of bi-carbonate; the man.
ufacture of soda ash may continue,
although the margin is extremely
small--but by reducing wages of en-
ployes operations may be continued,
this being necessary to Offset the
- oo,,onl l,x, l1o,,o-