The Wallace miner. [volume] (Wallace, Idaho) 1907-current, 1914-12-10
Mining Men and Mine Taxation
Ginning and Scientific Press)

III. "A. Il. AllaANibAt
Monies in the University OF Arizona
and a gentleman deeply interested IN /
problems of taxation, calls attention
10 a serious situation If there exists
q sufficient reason why the mining in
terests of this country should not yield !
several more millions of dollars for
purposes of taxation than they are
now contributing to the various state !
governments, that reason sh uld De
clearly set forth by the mining men ol
America. One thing is sure; there Is
a general feeling in many states that
the mining industry is paying tar pc
low its fair share of the expenses Oh
government: and another thing that Is
almost as sure is that many tax oifl-
Gals are determined to increase the
amount of taxes paid by the mining
industry as rapidly as means can De
found.
/ In this regard the mining men may
take any one of three positions. they
may assume an attitude of inditfer-
ence and let come what may. Thls
would be the height Of folly, for with
the constantly increasing cost of gov
eminent resulting in constantly IN
creasing pressure upon tax ofilclals
for more revenue, the officials are 60
ing to do what any other human be-
ings would do under the same press
ing. conditions-they are going to get
the revenue where 1t Is easiest to get
lit-and the easiest place to get 1t is IN
THE camp of the Indifferent. Secondly,
they may assume an attitude of deli
ance against all increases whenever
and wherever they may be suggested
irrespective of the reasonableness OF
such increases. From a purely selfish
point of view, this policy has un-
ldoubtedly been successful in some
states in the past, because of the pre-
lponderance of the Influence of the
mining interests in legislative matters.
Today, however, there are few states,
if any, where the mining interests can
effectively control public opinion or
Legislation. With the rising agricul-
tural, commercial, and financial in
terests all alert to the increasing bur-
dens of taxation. the success of this
second policy can not be expected by
any mining man who is sensible to the
tendencies of the times.
The mining men of America should
learn a profound lesson from the his
tory of railroad transportation in the
United States Few men who are
carefully informed upon railroad mat
: ters believe that the railroads of the
country are getting a square deal from
the public at the present time. How.
ever, whatever reaction has set ir
against the railroads is to be traced
! to the mistaken attitude which tht
} railroads took for many years in re-
gard to public interests. And wher.
! ever the almost relentless antagonist
r of the public against the railroads ha,
. been mitigated this has been the re.
! suit of a strong effort on the part o.
. many railroads to do whatever thu
9 public welfare demanded. Construct
4 i've proposals from the railroad men
backed by a willingness to cooperate
@ upon any fair basis, have been re.
e sponsible for modifying the unkindly
attitude of the public toward the rail.
! roads; and most of the great trans.
portation systems have come to SCI
= that this is the only basis upon which
: they can expect square deal.
j This suggests the third course tina
the mining men have open to them il
: the present matter of the taxation O
= mines, and it is the only method tina
can be expected to result satisfactor
lily to the mining companies.
{ Men familiar with the work anC
personnel of the tax assessors of Am
erica believe that they would WELDON,
!, constructive suggestions from tn,
mining men. OF all the problems tina
! confront the tax officials In man,
, states, the question of the equitable
taxation of mines is the most perplex
e ing. In vain have the tax officials
asked for such suggestions. NAM
mining men have given some though
to this question, but most of then
have looked at it from narrow poin
OF view; and while their suggestion,
were mostly of a negative or critica
character the positive suggestion,
z that We're made displayed evidence O
. but a narrow study of the question