Tonopah daily bonanza. [volume] (Tonopah, Nev.) 1906-1929, 1914-08-06

~ DA1eg A6lIes- lie lCLaA f1D4lc-
ton Of our mines and metaliurgical
plants IS about s4.se0.e00. 900 per an
nun The laborers employed in max
ing this production number about
200 300. hence. each worker in min
ing and metallurgy contributes s.. 9oa
per annum TO the country's wealth
The total production from our farms
and ranches. in agricultural products
and livestock. il $500. ooe. 00a per
annum. To make this production re-
quires the services Of 1900 go men
The average contribution 10 the IA
iional wealth of-eaeh farm and ranch
employe is. therefore. about $500 per
annum. or only 40 per cent as much
as is derived from the services Of
each mine ana smelter employe
A Notable Difference.
Farms properly attended 10 viii
last forever; water powers win IN
dure indefinitely. forests can Be r.
grown. but q mine is simply an ex-
haastible and definite amount Of ma
ferial which. once exhausted. is gone
forever. ana the only way to perpe,u-
ATE the Mining industry is by the dis
covery Of more mines. Ii would
seem. therefore. 10 be proper sub
iect for federal consideration and ma
tional aid to encourage prospecting
and the discovery Of mines
We often point with pride 10 cur
tremendous production Of minerals
This Is like the sDendthrift who
plumeg himself on the expenditure
OF $4,000 a day. 1t is. perhaps, not
generally known that the United
States with per cent Of the con
tinentaI area Of the globe and a little
more than s per cent Of its popula
ton Is now producing So per cent q
its entire mineral production From
these figures Il is evident that whils
other countries. for one reason o.
another. are not exhausting theft
mineral resources, we are doing oul
best TO reach the end Of ours.
Not Much for Mining.
The interest taken in this matter
is illustrated By the fact that fedora
appropriations for the encouragement
q agriculture amount to 81 cents PEI
capita q our population per annum
while federal appropriations for thu
encouragement Of mining. geological
surveys. mining schools. bureaus o
~ines etc. amount to less than
cert per capita Of our population VI
are encouraging an industry whlcl
Hn6er proper supervision is eyerlasi
Ing 4ad doing almost nothing for on
iaa- while perishabie. is vitaIly in
porzznr.
II have before called attention q
the fact that our present laws do no
encourage the prospector The minin
men Of the country owe ii to then
selves to impress upon congressme
and the people the necessity Of r,
vision Of our present laws in such
way as to make conditions more t;
yorable for the discovery OF mine,
The result of the exhaustion OF mine
and the consequent decline in tn
mining industry and an business i
illustrated by the situation in Colo
ado. In 1900 there were employe
about 1900 men in the metal mine
OF that state. In 1910 this humble
was reduced to about $4,000, and til
falling on has been marked durin
the past four years.
The situation IS so serious tina
the Denver chamber Of commerce
and other associations have bee
making organized efforts to do wha
can be done in spite of our defectiy
federal mining laws to bring abou
the discovery Of more mines. Tn
conditions in Colorado prevail I
some extent throughout the entir
west and are becoming worse instea
OF better.
THE bill introduced in congress b.
Senator Smoot, of Utah, providing 70
the appointment of a federal commits
sion to suggest amendments to tn
mining laws was faYorahly rennrte