The daily journal. (Salem, Or.) 1899-1903, 1903-05-15
The Eddy Bill a Fatal
Blow to Our Min
ing Interest
LevieS a Tax on Every Min
ing COmany Attempting
TO Develop That
Industry

peared in the evening papers OF yes
) terday, is a graft" pure and simple
"The DaIles of Columbia.
Portland, May 14.-A special board
of United States engineers are at The
Dalles to investigate the route of the
proposed government canal through
the dalles of the Columbia.
THE government appropriation for
the work is S4,O000O part of which
is available for the commencement OF
the work"
Referendum petitions can be found
at the office of the Golden Rule Min.
ing Company. in the Mccormack build.
ing, or at the Office of Ryan g. Co, on
State street. The time is short. and
don't overlook the opportunity
] c. l.. JOHNSON,
Local Manager.
In this connection we give the opln.
ion OF a wde-awake mining man, as
to the effect Of the Eddy bill. East
ern Oregon claims. and claims Justly.
that the tax on corporations is dl.
rect and savage blow at it's industry
mining. and, Of course. the same rule
applies to Southern Oregon. Quartz
mining requires considerable capital.
and consequently the formation Of
corporations Most of these corpora.
tiuns are putting thcir money into de.
yelopment work, are getting no re.
turns aud feel that II Is unjust to tax
them for trying TO develop the re.
sources of the country. The miner
says;
What are we trying TO do?" quer.
led the manager of one Of the leading
Baker county mines near the Cornu-
copia district, while In conversation
yesterday with the Democrat man.
II tell you that Oregon has made n
tremendous mistake In passing the
Eddy corporation tax bill aud the
portage railway bill. II is their inten.
ton TO drive mining men out OF the
state entirely? Look at the mines
In this county alone, There are miles
and miles OF tunnels. Those tunnels
are not improvements to the property
or any enhancement of values until
pay ore begins 10 come out of the hole
and go onto the market, yet. we are
taxed for state, county, school aud the
Lord knows how many other more ac.
counts ON everything we have In sight
above and below ground. One might
as well drive a tunnel under this
street and tax the hole for all the jus.
tice there is in this last legislative act
which puts another charge upon us
annually for the sake OF having a
name. and so much money in the bust.
ness.
Tell me why il is that New York
capitalists are already turning down
Oregon properties. II is simply be
cause the state is taxed 10 death. and
they know il Il is like case of
smallpox, Such news spreads from
the Pacific to the Atlantic in financial
circles like wildhre. Don't tax your
mines to death, unless they take some
dividends out of the ground.
Right on top of this unjust bin
your Legislators make scoop OF Sl65.,
600 which will not build onethird of
the proposed useless toy of a portage
railroad at The Dalles All kinds of
incorporated business in the state
has TO stand for this political graft.
This is another reason why there is no
disposition in the East to buy Oregon
mining property.
Il am glad to see an effort has bean
made at the instance OF Baker CITY
mining men to stop this Wholesale
grating and useless expenditure of
public monies. II the expenses of the
state are greater than Its income cut
on expense, but don't tax the over
6urdened producer 10 keep up a death
race after phantoms that cannot ma.
"fNfA fNh hANN NlAIG nNOnlG. B
more factories, more irrigation. more
brains and more money in Oregon.
Let nature take her course.
1T has only been within the past
year or two that New Workers ever
knew Baker City was on the map. and
such things as these bills win continue
to send them 10 Montana. Colorado
Utah and California.
THE mines make the towns not the 4
towns the mines. This is only a little
camp Dry up the mines and where
would be Baker City and Sumpter?
Their business houses would be board.
ed up In a short time The mines
even have 10 build the roads through u
The country ON which to do their busi.