The Ely miner. [volume] (Ely, Minn.) 1895-1986, 1920-01-02

the state has heritage in natural
products, let it not benefit from one
kind of product alone; let there be
no discrimination along these lines
when the time to take heritage comes.
'Tron ore is valueless if allowed to
remain in the ground. 1t is only af-
on it, after human ingenuity and
ability have worked upon it that it
has value in the finished product.
There is no good reason why the state
should seek to restrain the develop
ment of this natural resource any
more than there is reason why it
should try to prevent farming on
the ground that growing crops may
ultimately spoil the land. If the
world needs our iron today let us
| fill the demand, there still will be suf-
ficient for future generations.
Iron Ore For Centuries.
"But there is no danger of the iron
ore in Minnesota becoming exhausted
for centuries to come if those who
have the means, the stamina, the abIl-
lily, the foresight and the courage to
develop this latent resource are per-
mitted to do so without undue hard
ships being imposed. 1t has been
well said that if iron ore should be in
Southern Minnesota or in the Red
River Valley there would be no ton
mage tax agitation. Developed ore
bodies, confined to narrow district,
with comparatively small population
the mining industry is now the easy
prey of designing politicians. But if
given anJopportunity to freely devel-
op, if given self determination, if
you please, the exploration for ore,
now in it's infancy, will be greatly eX-
tended and there can be no doubt that
large and profitable mines will within
the next decade or two, be discovered
lin Morrison, Todd, Otter Tail, Clay
Becker, Carlton, Aitkin, Pine, Ken
nebec, Mile Laos, Benton, Stearns,
Meeker, Kandiyohi, Renville, Chip
pewa, Yellow Medicine, Redwood,
Lyon, Murray, Pipestone, and Rock
and other adjoining counties, pro-
vided no unnecessary burdens are
fastened upon the industry by short
sighted and selfish politicians. 1t is
positively known that the Guyana
range formation extends to the west
ern boundary of the state and that
! there is vast tonnage as yet await
ling profitable development. In adj
dition Lake and Cook counties and
also in other sections adjoining the
Mesaba and Vermilion ranges and to
the west and north, large new depos-
it's are sure to be found if the iron
industry gets fair deal But it will
be a long, long time before any man
with the courage to explore and de-
velop will be found if the state ad-
opts the tonnage tax principle and
burdens mine operators with tax
which may be increased at the will
of the legislature to the point of con-
| fscation should a selfish ma jority see
| fit.
"The argument so often used that
mines should be more heavily taxed
than they are even now because with
| in fifty years they will be but holes
in the ground falls of it's own weight.
| have shown already, and my state
ments can be substantiated by COM
Ipetent engineers, that there is ire
mendous undeveloped mineral re-
source in this state yet unscratched.
But even it this contention were true
why should the man who has invested
in property which is rapidly depre-
ciating in value be taxed on higher
plane than the man who has property,
say farm lands, which is rapidly in
creasing in value. There is no
rhyme or reason in such an argu-
ment.
Boost for Greatest Industry.
Development of the iron mines
has built up cities and villages, MAX
ing home markets for the farm prod
ucts of Southern Minnesota and the
whole state, has created untold wealth
in varied industries in Northern Min
nesota such. as manufacturing, job
bling, farming, and stock raising, all
of which are growing rapidly in i'm
lportance and adding materially to
the tax resources of the state. Let
us boost for our greatest industry.
Let us be loyal to the people who are
building bigger and better empire,
to those who with the untiring efforts
of pioneers have hewed the way
through untold difficulties and hard
ships and made Minnesota supreme
as an iron ore producing state. Let
lus help her to retain that proud po-
sition, and attract outside capital and
artisans to the state by having as our
motto "A fair deal for all. We bid
you come"