The Wallace miner. [volume] (Wallace, Idaho) 1907-current, 1917-11-01
Thursday, November /, 1917.
FARMERS AND MINERS AND -.
BERTY BONDS.


the agricultural element, clearer and
broader view of the value of the min
ing industry to the state and its at
titude toward the public welfare. 1t
Is seldom that a session of the legis-
lature passes without a determined eff
fort being made by the agricultural in
terests to impose burdens on the min
ing industry in the form of additional
taxation or otherwise under the as
sumption that the large profits earned
by some of the companies is conclu-
sive evidence that the state is being
robbed of it's resources without any
compensating return, and that the
mining companies are constantly en-
deavoring to evade the obligations they
owe to the state and nation. The
large payrolls maintained by the min
ing industry, the permanent market it
provides for the products of the state,
the prosperous communities that owe
their existence to the operation of the
mines, and the profits that go into the
development of new mines or into
other productive enterprises of the
State, form a sufficient answer at
this time to the first proposition. As
to the attitude of the mining indus
try toward the state and nation in
times of stress, this was strikingly
illustrated in the recent drive for sub
scription for Liberty bonds, and the
attitude of the farmer was equally il
Illustrated by comparison.
Two days before the close of the Lii
berty loan drive the Caldwell Tri-
bune published the following editorial
under the heading. "A Gentle Remind
err:
Saturday little handbil was cir
culated in Caldwell calling attention
to the fact that the United States gov
eminent had loaned the farmers of
the Boise valley $11.O0O,Oo0 for 20
years without interest The handbin
stated fact
To-day the same government Is ask
ing the farmers of the Boise valley to
lend 1t a couple of hundred thousand
dollars at per cent interest. There
Is a very tardy response. The farmers
have no four per cent money to loan.
We have coddled the farmers until
there is grave danger that they will
lose their self respect. Today the
farmer actually thinks he is doing his
whole duty to his country when he.
benefited by war condition, is maxi
Ing more money per year than he
ever hoped to make.
1T is time that the farmers search
their souls deeply. They should bring
home to themselves the facts. Once
they realize their duty there will be
instant response, we hope and believe
Today is the day to make the search
and make 1t thoroughly"
Caldwell is situated in Canyon
county, in the Boise valley, rated as
one of the richest and most prosperous
agricultural sections of the state of
Idaho. The population of Canyon
in 1910 was 25,S93 and is pro-
'ably 10000 now. The minimum al
ottment Of Liberty bonds for Can
ron county was $475,O0O. The Tribune
ays that the government, the same
government that was appealing for
inscriptions to the bonds to raise !
money to carry on the war and upon
'hich 1t pays per cent interest, had |
,aned the farmers of Canyon county
100000 without interest for the
urpose of making their land more
iouuStiNc WHEN the government /
ppealed to the farmers of Canyon
ounty for loan of s2O0,OOO their pro-
ortion of the allotment to that coun-
{, the Tribune says the farmers were
taking "a very tardy response. The
rmers have no per cent money to
an Here was a clear test or
yalty to the state and nation. Let :
J see how the appeal was received I
Shoshone county. the great mining $
inter- of the state.
The population of Shoshone county
1910 was 1868, which has probably a
creased to $4,000 now and possibly q
ore. The minimum apportionment u
Liberty bonds for this county was t'
10000 There was no hardness b
1ong the mining companies, their Sc
'ployes, or the people of this county
morally in responding to the call, al },
ough they had not been favored by tn