The Wallace miner. [volume] (Wallace, Idaho) 1907-current, 1919-01-30
ANNUAL ASSESSMENT WORK
SHOULD BE SUSPENDED.

The Boise Statesman Is opposed to
The suspension Of annual assessment
work on mining claims for this year
and next, and the reasons advanced
show a lack of understanding Of the
real situation in the mining districts
Of the west. After reviewing the
conditions which 1t comedies justified
the suspension during the war, the
Statesman says:
Now, however. conditions are
different. Capital can be turned
to such purpose; returning sol
diers will gradually give the sup
ply of labor; men released from
army service are well equipped
physically for engaging in mine
development No longer Is it ne
cessary to protect rights of draft
ed men in properties where as
sessment work should be done.
Possibility exists that the meas
ure may accrue all to the benefit
of the companies holding large
properties and areas on which
they do not at this time care to
expend money that can be utiliz-
ed for a time after the war In d.
rections more profitable to them
selves.
such favoring of the large
companies would be unwise and
unfair. Most Of the individual
property or claim owners viii en-
deavor to not only do their as
sessment work, but also to devel-
Old their properties. Unless the
big companies and investors fall
in line the mining industry will
not progress much for half
decade or So"
AS matter of fact the only con-
dition that was urged during the war
in support Of suspending assessment
work that no longer exists is the mat
ter of labor. There is no longer a
shortage of labor, but the ability to
pay labor for this class Of work is
now more acute. Wages, the cost OF
powder, tools, provisions and all
manner of mining supplies remain on
a war basis. The law requires thai
500 must be expended in actual labor
and improvements on each claim, The
standard rate of wages in the Coeul
d'Alene district before the war was
$3.50 per day. now it is $525 The
same ratio of increase prevails
throughout the west, In practical OPP
Grafton this means in round figures
that the claim owner now gets only
30 days work for his 500, while under
the old scale of wages before the wal
he got thirty days work, one-hal
more. Add to this the excessive
prices he must pay for all supplies 1t
connection with the work and 1t II
evident that results accomplished arr
not commensurate with the heavy ex
pense.
Owing to the unsettled industrial
conditions throughout the country
there is no market for the metals
which has not only stopped new de
velopment work, but has also result
ed in a general curtailment and il
many cases complete suspension o
mineral production, 1t is easy to say
that capital can be turned to sucF
purposes" but 1t Is not the capitals
that is most concerned. 1t is th'
prospector, the miner, the business
man, in short, the ordinary either
who finds it difficult, owing to tho
prevailing high prices and the de
preston in the mining districts, t.
raise the money to perform the an
nual assessment work and who feels
that congress should relieve him o.
the requirement.
The suggestion that suspension o
assessment work may accrue all t
the benefit Of the companies holdins
large properties and areas" is absurd
and indicates that the writer is ig'
norant of the real situation. The
holdings of large companies are gen.
orally patented and they are little
concerned in the proposed action. The
individual claim owners and the small
development companies are the par
ties most deeply concerned. The pre-
vailing conditions during the wal
forced them to suspend development
work. and they naturally feel that
they should be relieved of the annu
al assessment work, which contrib
utes little or nothing to the develop
ment Of the property and is chiefly