Arizona republican., 1915-08-16
MINE OWNERS BANKRUPT
 WORLDS RICHEST TOWN
Especial to The Republican,

HIBBING, Minn., Aug. 15.-A war to the finish between the eleven min ing companies operating here and the present town government has brought the village to the verge of bankruptcy. Hibbing, known as the richest village
 in the World,' because of the i'm mense ore deposits that are being worked It is estimated that 60,00O tons of ore is being shipped each week, valued at full three dollars a ton.
 By refusing to pay the village taxes, the mining companies have tied up the town government The object aimed at by the capitalists is the control of the expenditures of the town government. They have issued ar ultimatum to the town fathers that demands complete surrender The people of the town, headed by Mayor Victor L. Power, have rejected the terms dictated by the mining com panies.
 1 The mine owners demand that the | towns expenditures be limited to $22,- 1900 month, that 40 percent of pay | ing costs be paid by owners of the labutting property, whose rights apply only to the surface and not to the
 
 flor this year be limited to the same amount levied last year, and that the village council join with the com panies in a petition to abate the penal ties for 1914 taxes which are delin- quent.
 l Last spring the mining companies announced they would not pay their l taxes. The tax on the companies is about 95 per cent of the levy, and lfully $750,000 has been refused to the | town government A month or so ago the village council took the matter | up with Governor Hammond. Since then an effort has been made to bring the warning factions to terms. The ul- ltimatum of the mining companies was l delivered last week, and promptly re- Ijected
 1 The town council is considering 1 the plan of seiZing the ore at the
 mines for the payment of taxes Re- l taliation is suggested by the shut l ting down of the mines. Mayor Power | claims that under the statutes. the | town has the right to seize the ore land also to prosecute criminally. The State Auditor has the power to pre- vent the companies from taking ore. | The debts of the town are being l pdlQ III OTUerS that VIII De cdSneu, with interest. when the controversy | is settled Mayor Power assures each creditor that property with an ass essed valuation of eighty four mil | lions is security for the orders. His letter to creditors explains the situa- tion thus:
 I Representative came to the village of Hibbing and threatened that if the council did not surrender it's rights las individuals and as officers and re- | presentatiVes of the people to the | Oliver Iron Mining company, the com | Dany would force them to do so by refusing to pay their taxes, claiming that theS had perfect right to com pei Inc people of the village to sub
 init to the condition of affairs by Treason of their enormous wealth, and that if they refused to submit to the lcondition of the surrendering of their rights American citizens and in dependent people that they the Oliver l Iron Mining company, would starve them into submission"
 The village is powerless to collect the delinquent taxes. It is in a powerful wise that can be released lonly by arbitration. or the surrender, l in part or in whole of the town gov | ernment's rights.