El Paso daily herald. (El Paso, Tex.) 1881-1901, 1897-08-11
THE KLONDYKE PLACERS.
The Canadian Government Demands a
ROYALTY on the Output.

Royalty on the Output.
On July 9th the Dominion
| Cabinet decid d to demand a royalty
on the output of the new diggings OF
the Yukon. Under regu ations pre-
viously issued, fee Of SO per annum
were imposed. Now. in aid ton to this
| a ROYALTY of 10 per cent of the output is
to be collected from all claims produce
ing $500 per month and 20 per cent on
those producing more than that amount.
| Moreover, every alternate claim on
all placer ground is to be reserved as
the property of the government, to be
sold or worked for its revenue. The
est b'ishment of such a system, which
is, we believe, without precedent on
this continent since the end of Spanish
rule in Mexico. is startling TO those
| who have already acquired property
| on the Klondyke by right of location
and possession, if not by title from the
government, and to prospectOrs who
| are proposing to go there.
The right of the Canadian govern
ment to make such regulations is UNI
questionable; the policy is dou Stful:
| There is a suspicion that they would
not have been SO severe II 1t were not
that most of the miners iD the district
we're Americans, and the rush OF pros
pectOrs thiiher promises to be chiefly
| American also. 1t was, Of course. to
be expected that the Canadian govern
ment would take measures to reim-
burse itself for the expenses Of admin
istration in the new district, and there
is plausible reason for a departure
from the policy of liberality in grant
ing public mineral land for the purpose
of developing the unsettled parts OF
the country. since it is likely that the
Yukon district has few natural re-
sources besides it's mines, and when
the latter are exhausted the district
will be abandOned; but this looks only
to the easily worked placer deposits
and fails to take into account the lodes
whence they originated, which some
day will require capital and Industrial
; freedom for their explolta-
ton. The measures adopted,
however, seem to US unwise, owing to
the retardation in the development OF
the mineral resources OF the Canadian
| Yukon which they will cause and the
hard feeling they are sure to breed
among the American prospectors, who
!, are likely to clamOr for regulatory
measures There will be. moreover,
difficulty and expensive taxes to col
lect, since it will be nearly impossible
20 watch every miner, and the Klon-
dyke is so near the American frontier
that clandestine eXplOrt alton can hard
iy be prevented. 1t is a sound principle
of government that revenue needed
should be raised in the most inexpen-
sive manner possible, and any other
ystem is unjust to the people who have
, to pay the taxes.
Most of all to be regretted, however,
is the possibility OF friction. arising
between two nations whose interests
are really Identical: since recent histO-
ry has demonstrated that rich go d
mines are prolific source of con tentiCn
aud hard feeling.-New York EngiI-
1t is estimated that European con-
sumption of copper was l23.OOO,OOO
rounds reater in 1896 than in 1895. If
the present demand keeps up the con-
sum ption in 1897 will be vastly greater
than last year. In addition to this the
Wis be supply OF copper in Europe Is
Stesdiiy decreasing. In 1896 II decrea--
ed p, UOO, 900 pounds, and in the first half
of January, 1897, it showed further
shrinkage of ), HOO, 900. FIR, N this it il
evident that the position OF the Amer
lean producer is daily growing strong
ler. In two years Europe's own supply
of copper mas diminished 5000, OUU
jpouuus.-BOston Globe.
Reports from the interior say that
the La Paz mine, in the MaJehuaia
district, state of San Luis POtOsi, and
the CIncO SenOres and the Angus
tias mines, in the POZOS district, state
OF Guau ajato, are in full bonanza. The
former Is producing an average of
$50, 900 net per month; and the two last
named an average of 81 900 net each,
per month: ana these amounts are dis
tributed monthly amongst the FORUM
late shareholders. The Angustias has
a reserve fund of $500, 900 in the Ma
tiopal bank of Mexico.
1t is limited that the transportation
companies are furthering the Kion-
dixie craze. Our advice to Arizona
miners is to stay where you know
there is mineral wealth, and where
you can work 800 days out of the year
rather than go crazy over an uncer-
tain and falsely doomed placer propo-
sition several thousand miles away.
where you can barely work 80 days
each year. Boys, think twice before
you take uncertain chanceS.-Pick and
| Drill.
Three important strikes were made
in Colorado in June. These were the
discoveries of new and rich ore bodies
in the Mollie Gibson, the Gregory Bob
| tail and the Argintina-Juapit old
mines, with records in the past. Tha
| Mollie Gibson has not paid dividends