The Parker post., 1914-03-07

AND MINING
MAKES EXCELLENT COMBINA-
TION IN ARIZONA-SEVENT
YEARS MINERAL OUTPUT.

The firmest basis of the prosperity
of any state or nation is universally
acknowledged to be it's agriculture;
presumably for the reason that food
is the first demand and the soil pro
duces it directly or indirectly But
in prosperity there is more than life
and in successful agriculture there is
more than the mere production of
food. Many things beside climatic
and soil conditions, which are unex-
celled in Arizona, contribute to the
prosperity of agricultural pursuits,
among them constant market demand
and other activities that keep money
III circulation. Indeed, next in import
ance to food, is the money to buy it.
The money comes from mines and
the mines are in Arizona, furnishing
both money and the market. There
fore the farmer who belittles the min
ing industry is not only thoughtless
but has turned his Barlow knife to-
ward his own person in an effort to
commit hari-kari.
The section most productive of min
eral wealth in proportion to the mag
nitude of it's agriculture is nearest
the fountain head of perpetual pros
perity-and that's Arizona The min
ing man whose lodges lie closest con-
tact to the food producing soil, all
other things being equal keeps more
of the mined dollar in his own pocket,
than any other operator That's Ari-
zona also.
The product of the mines of Ariz-
ona last year was approximately
seventy-one million dollars, four mil
lions more than the year before,or
1884 per capita, including the Indians,
and assuming the population to be a
quarter of a million. And all Of this
was dug out of the ground by some
twenty-five or thirty thousand men,
counting everyone from muckers to
magnates. Of course it was not di-
vided up per capita, and lot of it
was dragged out of the state in div1-
dends and in the purchase of machin
cry, fuel, ETC., but. all operating ex-
penses, such as wages, food supplies,
oHn oiY1i icf1 Of
tributed right here where the work
was done and where the products
were grown.
1t will be interesting to analyze
"a little farther. No figures showing
the total of dividends for the year
are available, but it is stated that
the dividends of thirteen mines, pre-
sumably most of the large ones,
amounted to little less than fifteen
millions. Let us assume that this all
went into the pockets of non-resi-
dent stockholders, which it did not.
Let us add $5,000,00 in dividends
for the mines not included in this
list making a total of $20,OO0,000 De-
duct it from the output of $71 100000
as having gone into the pockets of
men who already have more than
they know what to do with. Let us
drop $26,OOO,OOO more into the fund
for machinery, fuel supplies and
other Arizona mine expenses outside
of the state, and there is still 500
per capita left for every man woman,
child, black, white, colored, savage
or civilized, all of which was distri-
buted among Arizona people through
mining operations.
You may think Mr.. Farmer or Mr.
Groceryclerk that you did not get
yours but you did, indirectly.
Question: Has Ohio, Illinois, Ken
thing like this behind agriculture?
And never lose sight of the fact
that acre for acre, Arzonas agricul-
ture in itself is far more productive
than in these states.
To put it in banking terms, the
state of Arizona has accepted the de-
pOsits of Aricole to the extent Of
millions of dollars, but it always car
ries a mining cash reserve fund of
two dollars for one, Sometimes it
may be a little hard to make change,
but the bank can't bust-Arizona
Magazine