The border vidette., 1916-08-19

| oCpOCHIOSI UT OCGOO0E.
 With a balance of but $17.11, the general fund of the state of
 Arizona is the lowest in history. The depletion of the general fund 1t is said is due largely to the extra expense caused by the mobilization of the National Guard at the time of the Clifton strike and also to the amount of money loaned by the state to the various counties for the con- struction of bridges. The coun- ties are required to pay the i loans back in inStallmentS
 The old Benson smelter which has been idle for years is to be prepared and put into operation according to a repreSentative of the American Smelling & Refn- Ing company which will operate the plant. Benson's new can hing factory which has a capa city of 25OO dozen cans per day is now in operation handling the tomato crop. The factory em- ploys fifty. Tomatoes, beans, peas and pumpkins will be handled by the new concern.
 Thousands of white wing doves are devasting the fields of wheat, milo maize, feterita and other grains in the Salt River valley. Scores of farmers are appealing to hunters to come to their farms and slaughter the birds, paying them good wages in addition to allowing the privilege of hunt ing. The damage to the grain fields, it is estimated will amount into the thousands of dollars. Many hunters are entirely dis regarding the limit fixed by law and are killing the birds by the wholesale.
 In 1915 there were 2,455, ,66 automobiles registered in the United States and their owners paid total of SIS, ,245, 713 in licenses. Most of this money was used in road funds. There is an average of one car for every II persons in the United States. Iowa leads with one car for every 16 persons. Ala bama is lowest with one car for every POO persons. New York leads with 255, ,242 registra tions, Illinois is second with 18O, ,832, California third with 173 ,797 and Pennsylvania fourth with 16O, 137. Arizona has 1O,3OO cars:
 Three million eight hundred thousand pounds of copper were turned out by the Old Dominion and International smelters dur ing the month of July. Ship mentS to the In international Smelt- ed Verde Extension mine at Jerome. the Arizona Conner cial mining company as well as numerous small shippers. The output of the Old Dominion shelter for the month was three million pounds. All records for mining at the Inspirational were broken during July when four hundred and eighty five thous and tons of ore were mined and treated.
 It is said that the cotton pick CTS of the Salt River valley are organizing and will demand 3 cents per pound for picking cot ton instead of cents. The cot ton growers association will fight this, and it remains to be seen what the outcome will be. PickerS will be scarce at best, but growers can ill afford to pay much over the customary rate of cents per pound, especially in average years. To raise the price per pound this season would be to establish a preced- ent which would be difficult to overcome in years when the price is less than it promises to be this year.
 If the cattlemen ever had a good season on the range in the last few years, this is the season, for while we have not had much rainfall excepting in a few spots where cloud bursts have occurr- ed, it is a fact that we have had over thirty days of showers, drizzleS and best of all more cloudy days than for years, and that has served to make the grass fairly jump on the ranges. The rain has not been sufficient to help the springs to any ap preciable extent, but there have been innumerable water holes ,E hDe T