The Yakima herald. [volume] (North Yakima, W.T. [Wash.]) 1889-1914, 1897-08-12
Yukon Mining Laws an Outrage


Seattle Times: There is one thing
that the miners Of the Yukon country
from here are not worrying about. 1t is
the announced intention Of the Dominion
Government to collect Il tax on all the
gold sent ont of the country and to re.
serve every other Claim for the Dominion.
The miners can conceive OF custom duties
being collected, but when it comes TO
highway robbery in the shape of direct
tax on the profits of their mining indus.
try it simply won't 90" 1t is proposed
by the Dominion Government to charge
a royalty Of 10 and 20 per cent on the
miners output and to reserve every other
claim of 800 feet for the Crown.
A crowd of prospective miners we're
discussing the question this morning in
down town hotel. Or rather, the ma jori.
ty Of the crowd were listening while one
or two OF the oldest men present gave
their views on the subject. A middle.
aged Fastener who started off with the
statement that he had mined before in
British Columbia had something to say
on the subject, and said it very forcblv.
The regulations must have been framed
by ID fool or an escaped lunatic.
per cent on his output. 1t is ridiculous.
The law would he nothing but dead
letter, as every miner who has worked
in British territory before knows. Legal
lied robbery Of that kind has only been
successful in one OF the many British
possessious-B British Guiana, and there
only for the reason that there is but one
way out of the country and the percent
age can easily be collected"
The discussion went on, and another
man made the point that 800 feet was too
large for placer. claim. This miner has
been in the Cariboo country in its palm
lest days, when hundred feet WAS the
regulation claim. He claimed that this
was all a man could work, especially in
the klondyke country, where the dirt is
much richer than in the Cariboo country
and the cold makes mining longer
operation.
The most sensible lew perhaps WIS
presented by young Fastener, " o
seemed to be well posted on mining mat
ters. lie talked in regard to reserving
each alternate claim to the Government.
Suppose, for instance" said the young
man, zone of US makes lucky strike,
bonanza, in fact How long will it be
before forty or fifty claims are located
around the discovery? This would be
done long before anyone representing the
Government could measure out the alter
nate claims. Who is going to indicate
what miners must vacate the claims they
have located? We know miners well
enough to understand that there would
be trouble, serious trouble, Immediately.
The sentiment of the people would be
With the miner and he would win out in
the end"
All of the local mining men and BUSH
ness houses of prominence think that the
matter of taxation and reservation IA it
now stands will be dropped, and not
man has been found who has given the
matter a second thought. The idea OF
royalty is always dismissed with the
thought that there are many ways to
avoid payment if the Dominion Govern
ment really intends to enforce it.
1t is said by persons in touch with peo-
pie across the line that a great pressure
is being brought to bear on the Govern
ment to drop the matter altogether. 1t
is proposed that the Provincial mining
laws so long in force he used on the
Yukon.