Iron County register. [volume] (Ironton, Iron County, Mo.) 1867-1965, 1906-11-08
THURSDAY.
From Arkansas.
CLIO, ARK, Oct. 80, 1906.

The following from Milwaukee
Neacs and published in the Com
moner, without comment, is a fine
argument for Socialism:
In announcing the consumma-
ton of a deal whereby the steel
trust is given possession of the iron
lands on the Mesaba range con-
trolled by the Great Northern rail-
way, the Northern Pacific railway,
James J. Hill and j. w. Longyear,
E. H. Gary, chairman of the steel
corporations board of directors,
states that "the price to be paid is
S1.65 ton, delivered at the upper
lake docks, with an increase of
3.4 per ton each succeeding year.
The minimum of ore agreed to be
mined is 100000 tons for the year
1907, increased by 750, 900 tons each
year until it reaches $3.50, 900 tons.
Thereafter it continues on that
basis" The amount of ore in
volved is estimated by Mr.. Gary at
$50, 900, ,000' tons. At the lowest
estimate he places it at 700,000,000
tons. At the royalty to be paid,
the owners of these iron lands will
derive over a billion dollars for the
right of mining the iron that they
contain. And none of this wealth
has been created by them. They
merely have gotten title to it
through the stupidity of the peo-
pie combined with the craft and
corruption of their public servants.
If the public's interest had been
consulted the billion dollars that
is to be paid into the pockets of
Mr.. Hill and his associates would
go to the public. Not only is the
public deprived of this princely
revenue to which in justice it is
entitled, but it must proceed to pay
into the pockets of the men that
have grabbed the Mesaba iron
range the billion and more of
money that the steel trust will COL
lect and turn over to them. 1t was
only a few years ago that the
Mesaba iron range belonged to the
public domain. The lands have
been frittered away and stolen. 1t
is a shameful record-the public
stripped through its faulty and the
craft Of private interests and the
lack of public spirit and breadth
of view of American statesmen.
1t is part and parcel of a civiliza-
ton that is based upon what
Rockefeller is pleased to term top
portunity" ty"-opportunity for the
crafty and greedy to exploit and
plunder the many. And yet there
are those that wonder that there is
discomfort in the United States
and a rising wave of social unrest
and radicalism. Would they mar
vel if an Attila or a Ghazan Khan
should have descended upon the
United States and through force
have stripped the American peo-
pie of the things which cunning
and greed have possessed them
selves of through the operation of
law and privilege? Discomfort!
The wonder is that there is so lit
tie of it that there is only grumb-
ling.
Why should any one who be-
lieves in private ownership Of the
earth object to this transactionf
If private ownership of the earth
is right, then why grumble be-
cause some get more than others?
"If the public's interests had been
consulted? What right has the
public to interfere if private own
ership is right?
OF course, Socialists claim that
the bounteous gifts of Mother
Earth should belong to all the
people. Coal, oil, iron, in fact
everything that the public must
use to live, should belong to the
public. For if any one must use
what l own and control, he falls
into my power and can dictate
his every act of life. Some cor
porations, am told, even regulate
marriage, not allowing those re-
ceiving less than a certain salary
to indulge in that expensive lux
ury. Who can know these things
and not be Socialist