The Wallace miner. [volume] (Wallace, Idaho) 1907-current, 1916-07-27
SENATOR ". A. CLARK
DENOUNCEs COPPER TAX
OWNER OF SUNSET NINE WILL
PROBABLY VISIT PROPERTY
EARLY IN THE FALL.

Ex-senator w. A. Clark returne,
to his home in Butte few days ag
and will probably remain in the ives
until after the election. His move
ments and comments upon the meta
situation and his large mining opera
tions are of special interest in this
district owing to the fact that he Il
the owner of the Sunset mine and il
actively developing the property. Il
is stated that the senator will visit
this city about the first of September
and will devote some time to the M
spection of the Sunset Upon his ar
rival in Butte he was intervied by the
Miner and made the following inter-
esting comments upon the proposed
tax on copper and his mining opera
lions in Arizona:
Copper Tax Wholly Unjust.
The senator appears to be in the
very best of health and when seen last
night was in equally good spirits. Like
other persons interested in the produc-
ton of copper he is somewhat per-
turbed over the proposed tax on that
metal provided for in the new revenue
bill, which has already passed the
house. and in this connection he said:
''The injustice of singing out one
great industry of this country to bear
such an extraordinary burden of taxa
ton | feel must appeal to every rea-
sonable person. Much the greater part
of this product enters into home con-
sumption than goes into war NUM-
tons. 1t would have been just as rea-
sonable to have imposed like tax
upon cotton, wheat or any other one
raw product of the United States.
Why Should Metal Be PenaIized:
Copper and steel go hand in hand,
for whatever steel is used You will
find certain percentage of copper en-
ployed. An example of this is found
in every locomotive, automobile and
other various kinds of machinery too
numerous to be mentioned. Why
should this metal be penalized? l do
not know that a single pound of cop
per that l have produced has gone into
munitions of war. The proposed tax
is not only very unfair to the produc-
ers of copper, but also to the consum-
ers of that metal Should this tax be
imposed the ramifications OF su.n an
imposition will be very widely felt.
Among these possibilities is that 1t
would affect the wages of copper min
ers throughout the United States, and
as Butte has $4,000 underground work.
ers the leyying of this tax would likely |
result in lowering wages here from
so cents to a dollar a day.
What 1t Would Mean.
IF this provision is pushed through |
congress as a party measure | am
convinced that the copper producing
states will be lost to the democratic
party, something which l should de-
plore very much, particularly as far as
Montana is concerned. The represen-
tatives of these copper states If they
vote for this bill as a party measure,
are very likely to be eliminated from
public life"
The senator who is noted for his in
variable optimism, takes a very fav-
orable view concerning the industrial
conditions of the United States after
the war in Europe is over. He said;
Will Be Beneficial.
'ln my opinion the ultimate affect
on this country by the termination of
the war will be rather beneficial than
otherwise. All the nations engaged in
the present conflict, and nearly all
Europe is taking part in it, are devot-
ing all their energy and effort to the
manufacturing of munitions Of war;
Other lines of industry over there are
virtually at a standstill, which can
hardly help when peace is declared in
making a tremendous demand for all
the products of the United States. If
our crops at that time are as bounti-
full as in the recent past, look for an
period of prosperity"
He's Still a Democrat.
Asked concerning the political stu
alton, he said II do not care to dis
cuss politics as / have not paid much :
attention to affairs of that kind of \
late, but / will say that l am still a
democrat, and nothing can change my
lifelong allegiance to the democratic
party"
Arizona, the senator said, is great
mineral producing state, but 1t does q
not compare with Montana as an ag-
ricultural one. Montana takes the /
lead in this respect of all the western s
states, as shown by the grand prizes r
and more than 600 medals won at the
California fairs last year. Arizona,
however, is the leading state in the A
production of copper.
The United Verde. !
Speaking of the United Verde prop
erty in Arizona, which the senator /
owns, he said that he had built new = =
town down there called Clarkdale, \
miles from Jerome and 1000 feet be- \
low that town on the Verde river The 7
owns the townsite and all
the residences in 1t, provides electric 9