The evening herald. [volume] (Albuquerque, New Mexico) 1914-1922, 1921-04-01
IHE ROUTE OF TliE WRECkER

consian, ehsre, ~ ~ pr.ohst of re Dawn on the New DAY was
that these companies were earning enormous profits from the New
properties and That they wce r'pphE me people OF the state
of enormous sums through alleged esasons Of taxes upon those
Ciisens who TOOK The pains % obtain The facts land a great
many II them did SO -qdckiy found that the large copper mining
IN Grant county, which s'rs " oo'ec'Soi particular at
tack, had been losing money very heavily Tor many monthsi that
made by he Prophet and ais crew. Of profits earned in former
years, and particularly through the period OF the war, were being
grossly exaggerated and that those mines we're bearing an %equitablel
Of the states tax burden.
The effort to ride te mines 10 . political victory was clearly
comprehendeJ By every man and woman who took the trouble 10 hd
the facts. Il resulted IN a quick and accurate popular estimate OF
the Prophet and his crew as a band Of chousiy selfish political op |
portunists; eagerly willing 10 ride over justice and wreck business
and industry in their lust for political jobs The result Of this fran
lie effort for political office at any cost was inevitable. The people
saw through the fake issue aud Overwhelmingly defeated its propon-
In Grant county. where the facts a 70 these mines were best
known, the defeat Of the Prophet and his wreeking crew was most
decisive.
This much 4 history. But BE falshooL foted upon the peo.
pie during the campaign. with regard 70 3hese New Mexico mining
companies, have been brought into review under the spotlight during
the past few days by the long feared closing down OF the copper prop
critics in Grant county. For months before me campaign when they
were made the object Of attack by the wrerkers, these companies had
been fighting a losing game. operating under heavy and constantly
increasing losses and in the face Of market conditions that were
growing steadily more hopeless AT the time when Magee, the pious
Puney Of putrid prune fame, and their associate press agents and
stumpers were attacking the copper companies most savagely, the
executives Of those organizations were engaged, to the exclusion OF
every other consideration, in a heroic effort 70 stave OF a shutdown
in order TO hold working organizations together and TO avert deter
ioraion, in the hope that market and general business conditions
would so improve as to permit them to % on They were striving to
save for their employees the very employment that Magee and his
crew were seeking to destroy.
While the Prophet, in order TO save his face, was posing during
the Legislative session Is the maker Of an appraisal plan Of taxation
for mines in the new revenue law; a provision with the framing of
which he had only an cxtraneous conversational part; the managers
Of these mining companies were grimly confirming their fight against
the shutdown which they knew would mean heavy losses 70 them
selves and their stockholders, as well as certain shrinkagc Of taxable
value uEder any form Of expert appraisal.
With the fabric Of his campaign falsehoods fully exposed 10 the
public gaze by the tragedy that has occurred 10 New Mexico business
and industry in the enforced closing down Of the copper mines in
Grant county, the agile Prophet makes hnal effort to save some
remnant Of his phony political capital by attacking tho "non-rcsi
dent owners of these copper mines whom he says should continue
10 operate the mines at a loss, in order to continue TO give employ
ment' with them. that in order 10 continue TO operate IN the face of
impossible financial and market conditions which have closed the far
richer copper properties Of Arizona, Utah and Montana. the New |,
Mexico copper companies should draw on rseryes-whicb do not
The Prophet, in his frrnzicd effort to foster prejudice and Jus.
hy some slreds Of his phony fabric Of agitation, demands, in effect,
that these copper companies instead Of taking The only course open
10 them in order 10 prevent absolute and final wreckage of these
vitally important industries, should rush on INTO ruin that would be
beyond retrieve. II IS a demand that an industry. running straight
toward IA war wrecked bridge, should drive II full speed over the
'dge 10 disaster, instead OF stopping until the bridge can be rebuilt
and the way made safe for the industry and for those it carries and
serves. II
Upon the principle Of management demanded Of the mining com
'anies by the Prophet, a bank would be required TO go ON indefinitely
oaning money to q creditor after his power to earn the whcrcwithhl
Q pay had definitely terminated APPLIED generally to business we
would have a duplication here OF the condition IN Red Russia within
Our Prophet. in his role is minister Of economic morals and
companies have closed down in order to save money, when they have
cen running OF twenty months al enormous outlay in order TO pre- IL
rent a shutdown which meaus inevitable deterioration and heavy
oss, md when the shutdown finally is ordered TO ,ay the picccs in |,
he hope that they cn be put together again and made to work once
Nothing he has said or done has she'd a clearer Eight ON the mo-.
ives of Magee and his attitude toward the best Interests of this state
han his eager bubbing Of falschood and Misrepresentation of the
conomc integrity OF the managers aud owners Of these New Mex
20 mining properties, who have put far more money into New Mex
co than they have ever taken out or than, at the present time. and |,
lnder the existing conditions and outlook, they have am chance of
yer getting out
Following out the policy Of the wrcckcr which he laid down
Turing the campaign last fall. it is the clearly outlined purpose of the
'rophei OF the Dawn OF the New Day to do what he can to make il
impossible for these men 10 come back and reestabIyb the urodueiy.
y Of these mining properties, terminated by conditions over which
hey had no control
II viii be found worth the while Of men and women who own
property aud business in New Mexico, who have their homes and
ourccs OF livelihood Ia this state aud who base their homes of Lr,y
es and prosperity upon rs material advancement Ia ,,use and con.
ider what would be the result upon our common fortunes should the
ohcy Of the wrecker prevail.