The Farmington times. (Farmington, St. Francois County, Mo.) 1905-1926, 1909-10-14

which is the average value per acre
OF the ground actually mined In the
Flat River district.
Fair Deal All Round.
There is nothing socialistic In the
above statement that idle mining
land should be assessed at such
figure ms to make the holding of 1t
without development unprotitable.
Such action would not be unfair to
the lead companies, but it WOULD be.
fair to st. Francois county.
This principle is absolutely sound
and 1t is in practice. 1t offers the
only just solution of many taxation
problems. 1t Is not coniiscatory in
the least, and it would. II applied in
st. Francois county, tend to equal
lie the burdens of taxation.
Discussing this very point In a
paper read before the American
Mining Congress la Goldheld, Ne
vada, week before last, Mr., Edmund
y. Kirby of st. Louis, and until re-
Gently general manager of the Flat
River properties OF the Federal Lead
Company, said:
"Strange as IL may seem at first
sight, the way to boom an industry
is tO tax the natural resources 1t
uses. The way to discourage 1t Is
to tax anything else it uses, or to
tax it's products. This scientific
principle of modern taxation is now
as firmly established as any law of
chemistry or physics, and Is slowly
but steadily forcing its way into the
tax systems of civilized countries.
II you want to encourage the utili.
cation of water power, tax water
falls so heavily that no one can hold
one idle, or away from would-be
users, and only actual users can pay
the tax. To discourage use, tax the
buildings, machinery, supplies or
income.
"THE BEST AND THE SCIENTIFIC
METHOD OF APPLYING THE TAX TO
CLAIMS COR IDLE MINERAL LAND
WOULD RE BY ASSESSMENT ACCORD
ING TO THEIR ACTUAL VALUES. But
any method will work so long as 1t
is carried far enough TO produce the
effect. 1t will of course be neces-
sary to prevent tax lodging. Any
State, or county, may apply the
remedy at will, for even II there are
limits to the tax levy il may impose,
there are none to its powers of as
sessment. 1t can apply the pres
sure and steadily increase 1t, watch
ing the effect, until this has reached
the point desired"
These are the words of an expert
enccd mining. engineer who knows
the mining industry of this country
from the lead camps Of Missouri to
the gold camps on the western slopes
of the Sierras In California.
County Entitled to More.
St Francois county not only needs
n more equitable share Of her own
great mineral wealth, but she is en-
titled to it. The only change neces-
sary to attain this end Is In the
method Of making the assessments
on mineral lands. Idle acreages
should he valued at figures approach
| ing the assessments on acreages
which are now producing lead. Any
increase in the valuation Of mills
and plants, or properties which are
actually producing, should he
avoided
Following the argument of Mr..
Kirby, unproductive acrcages, now
held by the companies in reserve
should he assessed to IA figure where
development would be brought
about. This would have two effects
both of which are desirable.
First-It would greatly increase
the county revenues, thus making
possible the building of system of
rock roads throughout the county,
together with improvements on pub
lie buildings, etc.
Second-It would make unproduc-
tive areas SO expensive to hold that
the present owners would be com
PEELED to develop them, or 1t would
bring other companies into the field
to develop these areas which the
present owners would he forced to
dispose of. In either event the
county would be vastly benefited.
The undevelOped portions Of the
Lead Belt are too rich in lead to 20
u-begging for capital. The fear tina!
an unusual increase In the valua-
tons of these undcveloped portions
would handicap present owners or
brighten away prospective investors
Is groundless. Such an increase
would not only attract new capital,
il would practically force 1t into the
field. Other sections of the county
would come in for attention and the
entire mining area OF Southeast
Missouri would he benefited to an