The Ely miner. [volume] (Ely, Minn.) 1895-1986, 1920-05-14

- so Years
What i. Minnesota's greatest industry?
Agriculture.
What next?
Iron ore mining.
Does society encourage industry?
1t does. Cities ease taxes and grant
bonuses to induce the location of manu-
featuring enterprises; cities; counties
and states put forth great efforts and
spend vast sums to develop lands and en-
courage farming, dairying, stockraising,
etc: nations grant valuable concessions
in order to secure the development of
their natural resources.
Why? ....-. .....
Because more industry means more
work, more people, more prosperity,
more comforts, more advancement, more
happiness.
I. industry invariably encouraged?
Yes-with one exception.
What is that exception?
The mining of iron ore in Minnesota
Is no encourag ement held out to the devel-
opment of the iron ore industry
in Minnesota
None whatever; on the contrary the
development of the states iron ore re-
sources is deliberately and systematically
discouraged and prevented.
How?
BY levying on iron ore the highest tax
eS lcVleu upon any VI pTOpSTty III
Minnesota iron ore pays taxes upon 80
per cent Of its true and full valuation,
city real estate upon 40 per cent of its
true and full valuation, farm lands upon
33 1-3 per cent, household goods upon
25 per cent? and by the constant threat
to vastly increase these taxes.
How is it proposed to increase the already
abnormaly high taxes ON iron ore?
By levying tonnage tax on iron ore.
What is tonnage tax!
-. acl - ,sxx Ia ~ .y0vr
from all other forms of property in the
state and to levy upon it, in addition to
the ad yalorem tax levied upon all prop
erty, special or super tax based upon
tonnage production.
What effect would such discriminatory
tax have If made upon the farm
ing industry?
1t would drive the farmer off the farm;
he would go elsewhere where there was
no handicap It would cause prospective
settlers to shun Minnesota; they would
seek more friendly, more favorable fields.
Minnesota lands would grow up toweeds;
it's greatest industry would sicken and
die; its population would dwindle; its
prosperity would perish.
What effect would such a discriminatory
tax have if levied upon the manu-
featuring industries of any city?
They would close up their affairs ana
get out of such an inhospitable and fool
hardy city as speedily as possible.
Would a similar result follow in the case
of iron mining?
1t would, inevitably.
But Minnesota is the greatest iron produc-
ing region in the world; is not the
world compelled to come to Min
nesota for its iron ore?
It is not; the world has many other
larger, richer, more accessible ore fields.
Where?
In Newfoundland, where 5000, 000,-
600 tons of iron ore Twice that thus far
developed in Minnesota) lies easily &C
cessible for mining and shipment; in
Cuba, in Brazil on the west coast of
Africa, and in many other places.
Are these fields now being prospected and
explored?
They are; shipments are even being
made from some of them.
Are other countries trying TO encourage the
development of their ore fields?
They are; in March of this year (1920)
the ministry of ways and communica-
tions of Brazil, which has the richest
iron ore fields in the world, approved a
provision EXEMPTING FROM TAXA
TON and granting certain concessions
to New York mining syndicate.