Albuquerque morning journal. [volume] (Albuquerque, N.M.) 1903-1926, 1916-10-03
A Committee of Fifty Protests
to the American MediatorS
Against What They Cali
'COnfiSCatoy DEGREES, "
WILLIAM LOEB, JR., AT
HEAD OF DELEGATION
Members of COM
mission Present a Plan for
Policing the Border InCIud-
ing American Evacuation,

Atlantic city. n, J., oct "A COM
mittec representing fifty mining and
smelling companies operating in Mex
leo protested today TO the American
members Of the MoXcan-Amcricm
joint commission against what they
called "coufiscatory DEGREES in that
country, and urged the return to the
Old methods of taxation.
William Loeb, Jr., representing the
American smelling and Refining COM
puny, headed the delegation The
other members were: Perry Brucre,
American Metals company, u. j. Haff,
Phelps Dodge company. George
Young. Greene Cauauca Copper com
pany; Charles Early, United Smeltors.
and Julian w. Beatty, American Met
ais company. 1t was the first time
that witnesses have appeared before
either the American or Mexican COM
missioners.
In the mass Of statistics submitted
to the American commissioners was
a statement showing the decrease in
the output Of metal since 1912. Ac-
cording to these fiures the output in
1912 was: silver, 33,OOO,O00 ounces;
gold. 2i3, 900 ounces, copper $4,000
tons; zine, 10000 tons and lead, $4,000
tons.
The figures for the first six months
of 1916 were given as follows. silver
/ 6 100000 ounces; gold 100000
ounces; copper, $4,000 tons zinc, H.
coo tons and lead 1900 tons.
They told the American commits
sioners that the export taxes on gold
ana silver had been increased to -four
tisies what they were in 1872, and
( that now a heavy tax was placed on
lead, copper ana zine, where none had
been imposed. They also placed be-
fore the commissioners statement
showing heavy increases in other
taxes affecting the industry and char
actorizcd them as coufiscatory, since
the low grades Of a great quantity Of
the ores produced made impracticable
the operation of mines under such
conditions Many torfoituros already
have been forced, according to the
committee.
The actual investment Of the COM
p0nios represented was placed at
$2l5,OO0,0O0. The American commits
si1ncrs were assured that the mining
operators are prepared to make the
government contributions, which are
mot in the nature of arbitrary eXac-
tons, aud which do not involve the
practical confiscation of property and
make impossible the operation of
their enterprises on a business basis
Secretary Of the Interior Lane made
public the memorandum presented by
the mining men and said that the
commissioners would confer with
them again tomorrow They came
here at the request of the American
commissioners who wanted their
their statement of conditions because
of the mass of contradictory evidence.
The Joint session of the commission
earlier In the day was marked by the
presentation by the MeXicans of plan
of border patrols which included the
Withdrawal of the American forces,
The MeXcans assured the American
commissioners Of their belief that
their government would be able to
carry out the promises they were pre-
pared to make and that in the future
the military forces of Mexico would
safeguard the border. The
details of the plan were not disclosed .