The diamond drill., 1919-10-04
THOSE DRILL HOLE ASSESS
MENTs.


state tax commission take cognizance
OF the necessity for a change In its
policy OF taxing undigestible diamond
drill properties. Mr.. Linton said that
he constitution OF the state OF Michi-
/ gan prevents any attempt at revamp-
ling the tax theory adopted by the CON-
mission when II provides that all
4 -operty shall be assessed upon It's
true cash value.
! This Is the old adage that has been
worked by the commission TO put on
complainant. The state commission
dces -equire its assessing officers to
tax every piece OF property at it's true
cash valse. but II leaves TO the assess
ine officer the task OF saying what
cash value is and how value shall be
arrived at. AS Mr.. Linton was told i'm
renly TO his statement that II the tax
commission should adopt any theory
cf taxation OF automobile manufac-
ture that would make II so hazardous
for any man or any body OF men in
.he city OF Detroit or elsewhere in the
s;Ste 20 engage in that business that
expansion in the automobile industry
would practically stop, the commission
would very soon be brought TO real
| ization OF the fact that the constitu-
tion has nothing TO do with methods
oil determining value and would find
a way out OF the difficulty. The trou-
tins peninsula haven't taken enough
interest in this matter to make its de-
mands felt. Expansion OF the mineral
development OF the peninsula has
practically ceased and II has ceased
almost entirely because the tax com
mission has adopted theory OF taxa
tion that they are spreading in an hor-
izontal manner irrespective of under
lying conditions.
The Iron River-Stambaugh Report
er complains because dimond drilling
Is entirely shut of In its district and
there Is no more expansion. Diamond
drilling will continue to be cut of
unless some change Is made. The
tax commission has shut out all men
OF moderate means from exploring
because such men. IL they find body
- al l.n ftacr
charges.
The mining companies are not par
ticularly concerned. They are filled
up and they know that they will be-
come the beneficiarics, in way, OF
the reckless who attempt exploratory
work against the handicap. Such
properties will eventually rail- to them.
This condition will continue TO ex-
ist until the local interests wake up
and make their demands felt in such
a manner that the tax commission
will bend its stiff knee.
In the last issue OF Iron Ore. Geo.
Newett says:
Diamond drilling is a form OF ex-
ploring for minerals In this region
that Is the recognized one where great
depths must be reached in order to
find the looked-for mine. Under the
practice OF our state tax commission
ore found in a drill hole is taxed con-
siderably. no matter how long in the
future it may be before the mineral
Is finally reached by shaft and the
necessary machinery equipment is
provided TO get the ore to the surface.
The practice OF the commission has
had the effect OF greatly reducing the
number OF drills in operation on the
several ore ranges OF this peninsula
In the Marquette range the Cleve-
land-Clins company is the only min
ing orgarNation now operating these
drills, and II may be that they are
working them partly because OF the
excessive taxation on mining opera
tions. At any rate 1t is the only con
cern using these drills at this time
in this section. The Cleveland -Clins !
is an enterprising company. and de-
sires to prove up as much ore as pos
sible that it may arrange for the min
ing OF It, the new finds to take the
place OF those that are exhausted I'm
the course of mining. because every
deposit has IT'S limits and certain !
time takes all OF t."
And all OF this because the state
tax commission is so obsessed with
.he idea that 1t has taxation theory
hat cannot be improved upon that It
won't take the pains TO make inquiry