The Alaska daily empire., 1921-04-08
COLD QUESTION
 IS DEBATED AT
 PORTLAND MEET
Speakers Agree Government Measures to Rehabilitate
 Industry Imperative.
METAL TARIFF FAVORED
Protective Tax on Zinc, Lead, Mercury and Magnesite Is
 Urged In Resolutions.

PORTLAND, Ore, April 8.-In- dorsement of the McFadden bill now before Congress providing an excise of $10 an ounce on gold used for other than monetary purposes was given in resolutions unanimously voted by the International Mining Congress today
 Resolutions favoring a tariff for protection of American lead, zinc, mercury and magnesite and favor ing passage of the Pittman act to stabilize the price of silver also were adopted.
 Today's session was largely devot- ed to discussion of the gold ques- tion. speakers emphatically declar- ing it imperative that the govern ment take steps to rehabilitate the gold mining industry.
 That some of the greatest gold mines of the nation will be beyond redemption unless legislation giving them assistance is quickly passed, was declared by w. J. Loring, San Francisco, president of the Ameri can Mining Congress. 1. Production Dropping.
 Tt is appalling to note that the production of gold in 1910 was $96.269, 900, in 1915 $101, ,035, ,000, in 1920 9,OO0," said MT. LOT ing. Now, then what is going to happen if this depletion of the gold production of the United States continues? Of course, at that rate, one might say that in another ten years there would be no gold pro duction in the United States, but that would be wrong. There will what the conditions are, but there is no doubt that, unless something is done to stimulate the gold pro- duction of the United States, the production will drop materially be- low the production of 1920.
 Tn my opinion it is quite an unnecessary reduction if we stand together and support a measure that will keep gold mining on the map in this country. 1t does not matter whether it is the McFadden bill or a measure bearing some other name, so long as its purpose is the stimu- lation of gold production in our country"
 Hamilton Speaks.
 Fletcher Hamilton, California State Mineralogist, likewise urged support of the McFadden bill or some similar measure.
 Gold miners have been forced to the wall" MT. Hamilton said, be cause the price of gold remains fixed by law and unchanged, while the costs of mining equipment, sup plies, labor and living have doubled. Other industries solve the problem by raising the price of their product but the miner can take no such action.
 The unanimous support of men in every walk of life should be- given to the McFadden bill, or toI some similar measure-for purely selfish motives, if for no other reason"
 MT. Hamilton said the business of the world requires more and more gold from year to year for monetary purposes, for gold is annually taken for use in the ats, industries and science. To maintain the equil- ibrium, he. asserted, gold must be produced constantly.
 Many Mines Idle.
 Despite the great need for gold, many mines are not being worked, he added. Mines which have pro duced millions and which should produce millions have been shut down and allowed to cave in and fill with water; and mills and re- duction plants worth a kings ran som are left to the mercy of the elements" he said
 In California, Mir. Hamilton con- tinued, miners are carefully going over the ground scorned by the Ar gonauts of '49 and extracting gold