The San Francisco call., 1908-10-08

after denouncing the critics Of Presi-
dent Roosevelt called upon his hearers
TO unite to aid in saving the forests
and the waterways to the people.
Former Governor Pardee followed.
speaking as the representative Of the
national conservation commission. He
extended the thanks of that body to
the congress and urged that the re-
sources of the country be kept as a
capital investment TO be held intact for
the future, each succeeding generation
to make use OF the product or interest.
There was nothing in the opening
part of James Callbreath's address
that indicated a belligerent attitude
but the heavy ammunition had been
reserved for the end
Until a few years ago., he said. "the
reduction of refractory ores was in the
hands of various smelling interests. so
competing with each other as to keep
the charges on fairly satisfactory
basis. but the possibilities We're too
great to be long neglected. The so
called smelter trust the American
smelling and refining company, was or
ganized and it has been successfully
operated. During the year ending
April 80, 1903. it made net profit OF
$29,304,324 upon capitalization of
s100, 100000, two-thirds of which was
water.
I want to point out to you that the
STANDARD oil company, through its most
powerful agency, the American smelt-
ing and refining company, today con-
trolls 70 per cent of the best brains in
the metallurgical world; 70 per cent of
the facilities for smelling, and
through these and the mines which it
already owns controls 10 per cent of
the future production of gold and silver
and copper and lead in the United
States Through these agencies it is in
a position to control practically the
total output of these minerals.
OCTOPUS IS FLAYED
When you consider the power of
the Standard oil company, gained
through the control of oil products, for
which there are many substitutes, and
without which the world could wag
along quite comfortably what do you
believe will be the result when this
control is exercised over the metals
which are absolutely essential to our
industrial life? Do you see the possi-
bility of closing the mines of the west
by prohibitory treatment charges while
the value of metals is increased in the
markets by the stoppage of production
in the west? Do you see the possibility
of purchasing the valuable mines at a
great bargain after they have been
made valuless to the owners by pro-
hibitory transportation and treatment
charges?
IF it is shown that the ore producer
receives but approximately 80 per cent
of the value of his ore after paying
the regular charges for smelling and
transportation, it must be conceded
either that a more effective method of
smelling should be devised or else the
smelling trust be forced to quit de-
Quoting profits under the guise of
penalties. A writer in the Engineering
and Mining Journal of New York shows
that on shipments covering a period of
eight years the miner received "a per
cent of the value of his ore. the smelter
charges We're IA per cent, while the
amount unaccounted for was 81 per
cent. In other words, 81 per cent of
the value of eight years shipments was
either lost or stolen.
Attorney General Dickson of Colorado
pleaded for more liberal homestead en-
actments. He was followed by Frank
Short, who to some extent replied to
Pardee Short and Pardee are both
members of the conservation commits
sion, but the former is not in accord
with President Roosevelt. Short ridi-
culed the excessive zeal manifested on
this ISSUE
The American Indians were the ideal
conservers," he said. Short argued
that if the American people had de-
stroyed forests, they had builded cities;
that If they had burned up the coal,
they had harnessed the streams and
would meet each new condition as it
arose.