The Tabor independent. [volume] (Tabor, S.D.) 1913-19??, 1914-07-09

ling these II seems that the old policy Of
private monopoly Is to be followed, Tor II
was recently announced from washington
Oklahoma would be thrown open TO
entry Et.
Now II operation under lease is good In
Alaska, why f. Il not good elsewhere7
What are the facts about the production,
ownership, and sale price OF coal7
In 1917 the United States produced To-
323 $50 long tons OF anthracite, valued at
the mines at ST. 81, 6M, andsA50 COY. 96z short
once upon q time the mines belonged to
the people. Just what was realized from
them when they passed into private hands
cannot be told. but certAinly Il was mere
bagatelle compared with their present
capitalization, which runs into tho naill-
ions. The United States Steel corporation
owns over 5000 acres of the Connellsyille
the world, What the trust paid for Il we
do not know; but Mr.. Charles Schwab has
said that It could not be bought for $4,000
an acre. We may Pc sure that Il y cap.
italized for "all the traffic will bear.
Thirty years ago there were many opera
tors In the field, and genuine competi-
ton largely governed prices. The rail-
trolling transportation, crushed out the
independents. Then law was pAssed %
prevent the railways from engaging IN
the mining business. Did they give upf
Not much. They simply organized indie
pendent holding companies and continued
to hold up the public by extortionate
prices. Strikes are common In the mines
for such losses by taxing the public.
Thus In 1912 the operators In the anthra-
cite region compensated themselves Tor
their losses by advancing the price OF coal
70 cents q ton, though they had Increased
the wages Of the miners only nine cents.
The writer has q very vivid recollection
OF contributing SIS at one time, few
years ago, to the operators In Arkansas.
"A A. a Nvs<v~ TNym rHs-
ington that other coal lands are to be
thrown open to private entry. That GER
tainiy II the law, and for that the pres
emit administrator OF the coal lands IL not
to blame. But u operation under lease
OF the country7 Secretary Lane thinks
that II Is; but HIS bill for the government
monopoly OF mineral lands not now pri-
though It interferes with no vested
rights" In Germany they are going after
vested rights for the public good, and
we are put IN TIE anomalous position 40. q
Standard OIL company, which our courts
have oUtlAwed.
The day of competition In our great In
dustr1es has passed. II there Is TO be
or at least controlled by the public. OPP
grafton under lease has been tried with
success in some Industries Just before It
walked up to the fact that her once barren
hillsides had a value beyond the richest
dreams OF avarice. The steel corporation
had found It out first had secured most
4 OF them, had capitalized them at an enor-
nous gum and was exacting a fair re-
4 turn" But Minnesota said that II was not
fair, and passed law for the operation of
i her unsold mines under lease for 6o-year
\ terms at 500 per annum and royalty OF
Is cents per ton OF ore.
And this Is what the people gained: A
permanent school fund OF SZ2 ei4, 20. a uni
4 versity fund OF s., 1876, an internal Inn
provennent fund Of s., $40. and a swamp
fund OF ta01,71 from the sales OF land
| and timber and the royalties on the mipes;
| a fetal OF s29.74S,76T, from which they re-
4 ceive an annual interest OF over $1,000 COO
II and 10 which they are adding over N,s1Ol
i 900 every year. The state auditor esel-
4 mates that the public school fund will
amount TO 500 900 In 20 years. and the
university fund to S10,0oQ0o0. The largest
accommodations have come from the sales
i az land and timber, yet the mines have
il played their part. In 1911 the income from
i royalties was $s2s, 900. Yet the state mines
produced only a little over 1-o0th OF ths
ore mined within her borders-that u te
aay. instead OF S226,O00, the yearly add
lions should be 81. 10000. In 1913 the leg.
] islafure appropriated only @,2Si,6S5 y
other words II the state owned all IN.
mines within her borders ana Operated
them under her old lease law. which hai
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