Hot Springs weekly star. (Hot Springs, S.D.) 1892-1917, 1897-07-02
UNCLE SAM A MINER
Suggestions From "a Republican Lawyer
For Solving Some of the Great
prnllelns 0f Ecnnnlnics

Suggestions From IL Republican Lawye
For Solving Some of the Great
Problems of Economics.
"The populists have theories of gov.
ernment ownership of railroads." say
John III. King of Chamberlain, S. ID.
formerly of the Hills in communica
tion to the Chicago Inter Ocean, o
cheapening the dollar, of changing oul
standard of money, but no theory pu,
into practice of getting something fol-
nothing.
''The objections to the government
going into business in competition
with private capital are too serious tc
be favorably considered. That means
the despoiling of millions and ruin tc
hundreds of thousands. Yet it is sin
gular and striking that after hun
dred years of existence we do not seem
to have settled and permanent tinan-
cial policy. 1t is also strange that we
are i'll constant trouble with the labor
question. There ought TO be a perma-
nent solution for both questions and
one suggests itself to me which think
worthy of consideration. 1t is for the
government to engage in mining gold
on it's own account.
"Gold isacommodity is a THAI has no COM
petition, the more produced the better;
the government need not interfere with
private mining or property. Let the
government locate and prospect for it's
own mines or buy them, or lease them
on royalty just like anybody else.
''There are thousands of undeveloped
mines in the United States. There are
hundreds of them in our own Black
Hills in South Dakota, as good as the
Homestake, and all they need is money
and labor to develop them.
''There is no reason why the govern
ment may not locate and develop or
buy partially developed gold mine,
the sane as the individual; employ
labor, run tunnels, sinks shafts, erect
smelters, and thus give employment to
hundreds of thousands of men, and
get out gold by millions. It's such a
business as cannot be overdone and
the government in producing gold en-
ters into no competition against any
private individual or corporation, and
the only way it would affect business
would be to employ idle labor and
make money plenty, and have "a ten
dency to fix a standar price fora days
work and of developing our own re-
sources in a line which is ineNhausti-
BILE. 1t would at the same time, in a
measure, if not entirely, solve the labor
problem by giving employment to the
unemployed at regular fixed rate of
wages and furnish the means to paw
for the labor, and be of profit to the
government, to say nothing of the eff
feet on the financial question. Mis-
takes would be made; poor mines might
sometimes bedeveloped, but one Home
stake would pay for all the mistakes
and make money besides
"It is said that the original invest
ment on the Homestake property was
$4,000 and when that was gone the
mine was still worthless, and it was es-
timated that it would take 100000
more to develop it so that it would pay.
The capitalists had faith in their man
and i'll the mine and put up the money.
but when that was gone still the mine
did not pay, and it took 100000 more,
aud it was invested before any good re-
suits came. But low! now a property
that has paid s6,OOO,OOO of dividends.
besides all expenses and princely for
tunes in salaries, and side companies
and is today salable at s2OOOO,OOO and
all out OF an investment of only $780,
UUO.
"Russia, in small way has set an
example for us, as she has been mining
gold for many years. Plenty of practi-
cal mining men could be found who
would take pride in managing the
mining department of the government.
Ii the government would take one. e.half
of what is thrown into the interior
rivers of this country yearly for a few
years, it would be sufficient money to
place the mining department on a sub.
stantial basis"
Chambers Kellar to Deadwood.
The following from the Deadwood
Pioneer-Times will probably be sur.
prise and disappointment to the large