The Goldfield news. [volume] (Goldfield, Nev.) 1904-1911, 1909-08-28
Bullion Tax Report

report of the State Bullion Tax Collector, James F. Haley, and
itis the special privilege of The News to print the report, which,
of necessity is much condensed, in advance of all other papers of the
The report will bear close examination and study for it reveals
some very important and startling facts both as to the operation of
the bullion tax law itself and more particularly a t. the growing i'm
portance of the states mining industry.
The report shows that the output Of the state for the quarter end
ing March 81 this year as compared with the same quarter of last year,
to be almost treble; or to be exact, the output for the first quarter of
1908 was 50 1905 92ls52 as against Sc ,343 6a5 10 the first quarter this
year, with a bullion tax in the first instance of $4,000, and in the sec
ond instance of nearly 10000.
1t will be noted that the greater amount Of this increase came from
Esmeralda county. In the first quarter of 1908, the bullion tax collect
ed in Esmeralda county was $692767, or about onethird of the total
amount collected from the entire state. The first quarter this year
shows the amount Of tax collected from Esmeralda county to have
been $5066735 out of total for the state of $58, SO, or about five
sixths Of the entire tax collected
This shows o the face Of it an enormously increasing production
for Esmeralda county mines, or rather, the mines of the Goldfeld dis
tnct for CMyfeld is practically Esmeralda county. Still Lucky Boy
and ~RaShide figured in the first quarter Of this year whereas they
were practically nil last year, and go to swell the output to the credi.
of Esmeralda for 1903.
At the same time the enormous increase in the bullion tax collect
ed does not NEAR a proport;onate increase in production. 1t does
mean, however, that Bullion Tax Collector Haley has, in the Jealous
discharge Of his duty, been able to return to the state all that the law
allows by demanding the strictest accounting from all companies. He
has enforced the law to the letter and in doing so has greatly increased
the net reported output in proportion to the real output. In plain
words. he has stopped tax-dodgng
1t will be observed that the quarters ending September 80, Decem-
Der 81 and March 81 respectively, vary greatly, for Esmeralda county.
During the quarter ending September ~, Sheriff ingalls, collected
$1 321O4. During the following quarter, under Sheriff Bradley, the
bullion tax Of this county dropped to 81, 70. The discrepancy was
e grea IS to attract the attention Of State Bullion Tax Collector
Haley. who dropped down to Goldfeld and began Investigations. As
a result he found certain evasions of the law in the matter of net mine
returns. In one instance he found a discrepancy of $4,000 in bullion
tax. which was afterward converted into the treasury; in another he
had suit instituted. He also instructed the sheriff. Office more fully
in regard to the law and in his effort to get full returns was thereafter
given every assistance by the sheriff as had been given by the district
attorney, and the sequel was that in the following quarter, ending
March 81 this year, the tax collected jumped to $5O67735.
This is IN illustration of how conscientously and zealously Mr..
Haley is enforcing the law. He has construed the law a just per-
- -. lA-e 10Th Il nd bc onforn.J -. &L .x.o4 -
partiality.
The administration Of the office of State Bullion Tax Collector
has been very creditable to Mr. Haley and to Governor Dickerson, who
appointed him to the position. Mr.. Haley has not only made a close
collection Of the bullion tax due the state, but he has also clarified the
many disputed points of the law. His position n certain points was
different from that Of the mine operators. They insisted on charging
against net production expenses on mill construction and mill repairs
Improbable work done by leasers was charged to expenses Of parent
company; in other cases royalties paid by leasing companies were not
included in the returns Of the companies. Mr.. Haley soon put a stop
to this and that his construction Of the law was correct is evidenced by
the fact that n % company has contested his position in the courts, and
there is a more thorough understanding Of the law by the mine oper-
ators and more amicable relations between the operators and the State
Bullion Tax Collectors office than ever before. In his impartial en-
forcement of the law, Mi. Haley has gained the good opinion of all
rightminded operators and inspired q wholesome respect for his office,
at the same time beneftting the treasures of the state and the various
counties by many thousands of dollars.