The Wallace miner. [volume] (Wallace, Idaho) 1907-current, 1918-04-18

capped the blight of governmental reg
ulation?
But IL II be true that private capital
will no longer be venturesome, If 1t be
true that because of arbitrary govern
mental actions in one direction. per-
haps forced by circumstances, people
will not take chances in another, and
the government must, therefore, do
something unusual, then let the gov
eminent proceed in business like
way, just as the individual would. If
private capital will not speed up the
production of manganese and chrome
ores fast enough, being unwilling to
take the risks, let the government or
ganize its own mining corporation to
do so and invest its money without
frightening the rest of the industry
with minatory and regulatory meas
I lures. Let such a corporation enter
into contracts with private individu-
ais, If necessary which would give
them the guarantees they need. Let
right Of requisition upon idle mines or
works that can be made to produce
but do not, although 1t Is incredible
that any such exist. If there be any
ton, let the power to do these things
be conferred upon the secretary of the
interior, who has organized agencies
already. The mining industry has full
confidence in the secretary of the in
terror and his agencies, but 1t may
we'll fear the chance of being thrown
into the hands of another commission
headed, perhaps, by a professor.
AS to other provisions in the pend
ing bill, we do not think of any that
may be desirable for the sake Of the
public welfare that are not already
being exercised. OF may be. The bu-
aof mines already has full power
to make studies for the elimination of
wastes and the improvement of meth
DDS. There are no material evils of
profteering that need to be eradicated
The government can step in and COM
mandeer supplies whenever it sees fit,
not very wisely in the cases of tin
and platinum. II 1t be necessary to
enter upon what Is practically ration
, ing in the event of deficient supplies,
that can be done best through the me-
dunn Of producers and consumers
committees, as has been done with
copper. AS to the use of material,
e.g. whether smelters should use spie-
geleisen instead Of ferromanganese, or
magnesite brick instead of chrome
brick, the law of supply and demand
will tell them what to do more unerr-
| ingly than will any board. A mines
control is not needed to attend to these
things. Other bureaus are already
fussng with them, and the injection of
a new one is likely to make confusion
worse confused. The main features of
the pending bill are its financing and
price fixing authorities. It's price fix
ing contemplates minima rather than
maxima, but the power that is asked
is complete. Any meddling with prices
is dangerous.
The purpose of the bill is commend
able. but that purpose will be defeat
ed If there is going to be a mines ad-
ministration like the coal administra-
ton. We think that our industry will
give the best answer for itself If it be
let alone. But there is one guaranty
that will help it, viz, guaranty that
the government will not attempt to
dictate prices. With ferromanganese
at $3.50 per ton, people will go into the
business and take their chances on
natural market conditions, but they
may not If they think that at any
time some governmental agency will
arbitrarily reduce the price to $3.50,
because some producers are tempor-'
arily making what some clerks in the
federal trade commission deem to be
too great profits. Let the Industry
have such guaranty and then let 1t
alone; but If 1t be thought by those
who have studied the situation that
governmental assistance will speed
things up. then let that assistance be
given through the secretary of the
interior, with simple instructions in
effect to get the stuff in such ways as
he sees fit But that we should have
a mines administration primed to
make such a mess of things as the
coal administration Heaven forfendi