Ashland tidings. [volume] (Ashland, Or.) 1876-1919, 1913-08-18

tion in an intelligent manner of our
mineral resources. / can see where
the agricultural interests will find as
much need for such a map for the
classification and location of their
farm and horticultural products; the
timber interests, for the exploitation
of timber interests; the government,
for the location of their reserved
acres of timber and mineral lands.
This relief map, together with DR..
Winchell's work in an Oregon Bu-
reau of Mines and Geology bulletin,
should be available by next summer.
About a month ago l addressed a
letter to each commercial organiza-
ton suggesting the advisability of
their appointing standing mining
committees to cooperate with the
Oregon Bureau of Mines and Geology
Many of these sent the personnel of
their committees. The members of
several having addressed me with
regard to the manner in which they
could best cooperate. Correspond
ence did not seem to be satisfactory
solution for the answer to these re-
quests and consequently l thought
best to make a trip and meet these
gentlemen and discuss the situation
first hand.
The mining committee of Ashland
consists of Chairman F. W. Moore,
E. E. Phipps and w. H. Gowdy. If
there are any mining development
problems to be presented from this
locality it will fall to this committee
to crystalize a statement to be for
warded to the Oregon Bureau of
Mines and Geology and in this way
save much correspondence prelimi-
nary to action. We have already
started a research of Oregon build
ing stone and hope to win the use of
our Oregon stone for the Portland
postoffice, plans for which have to
be submitted by October 6. l have
noticed the water tables and trim
on several of your buildings have
used the Permission granite, which is
most pleasing and and l am con-
vinced most durable. 1t gives the
building a most substantial appear
ance-one of permanence and gran
deur.
Many are beginning to realize the
Importance of assisting the mining
industrial development of Oregon as
most effective means to reduce the
tax burden at present resting on the
people. With this realization of a
fact, we may account for the present
activity along these lines, which we
hope will continue. This year the
gold production of Oregon will be
about $S,OOO,OOO, or about four times
what it was last year.
Ashland is very favorably located.
The population increase will be part
ly by choice on account of the un-
surpassable climation condition and
party on account of industrial accel-
Grafton in agricultural pursuits and
mining. There are but few who real
ize that the labor percentage of the
cost of producing metal, cement and
other mineral products is far great
er in proportion to the sale value of
the product than in the case of hor-
ticulture, one of the most intense
labor branches of agriculture. Take
the manufacture of cement. In Cal
ifornia the sale price, at plant, is
$3.50 per barrel of cement. The
labor is approximately 60 cents, or
40 per cent of sale price. OF this
90 cents, so cents goes to the susten-
ance of labor employed. A 1000
barrel per day plant would circulate,
locally, $500 in the purchase of food
stuff You may win some concep-
tfon of how much more produce the
farmer can raise and sell at a good
profit with such an industry operat-
ing. This means $15O,O00 per year.
On a $3.50 per barrel basis at the
California plant this means gross re-
ceipts for the company of $45O,OOO.
Portland alone consumed last year
100000 barrels of cement at $2.1O
per barrel. A 1,OOO-barrel operation
will therefore be readily absorbed
and room to produce more locally.
A. H. N. LAWRIE.