White Pine news. [volume] (East Ely, Nev.) 1920-1923, 1923-07-29
MIR. METCALF SMOKED OUT.

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MIR. METC.ALF SMOKED OUT.
Vernon Metcalf, editor of the Ne
yada Stockgrower and secretary of
the Nevada Livestock Association, is
all doubled up over the exposes of
the so-called biological survey con-
troll of predatory animals published
from time to time by the White Pine
News. The News recently showed
how coyotes destroyed under the gov
eminent trapping system were cost
ing the taxpayers from SO to $12
apiece, whereas under the high
bounty system of Utah the cost was
only S4 each and much better re-
suits were gained.
Mr.. Metcalf attempts TO refute the
News statements by saying that I'M
der government trapping the furs of
coyotes were sold and that the sales
promise to return to the state
years. Right here is the fundamen-
tai difference between private trap
ping and government trapping. I'm
der private trapping the furs from
predatory animals are sold by the
trapper and the returns are as much
his money as is the money from wool
shorn from sheep that are gra2ed on
government land or as the returns
from ore that is dug from the ground
go to the prospector or miner. The
~so-called biological survey has set up
a theory that wild animals, while
claimed as government property, are
something that should not belong to
the man who destroys them and
takes from their backs the only thing
of value, which is their fur. But
from the sales of ore in the ground
it has not as yet disputed the right
of the miner to take aud appropriate
the proceeds to his own use.
In reality there is no difference
between these two classes of govern
ment property. The principles in
volved are exactly the same. If one
thing of value in the form of fur on
predatory animals is the exclusive
property of the government, then
>'NAy lily NhlHS VI Vault Oh lIle
government domain. including min
erals and petroleum, must be treated
in the same manner. The coal, iron,
gold, silver and oil from beneath the
surface by exactly the same right
should be taken over and the money
received therefrom turned into the
Treasury. And on the same line OF
reasoning the beef and mutton, the
hides and wool from cattle and sheep
should be sold by Uncle Sam and
these millions of private owners
should be denied the right TO profit
therefrom.
Now Mr.. Metcalf will not take that
position for q minute-not as to min
eral, petroleum, cattle and sheer.
He only takes that position as to fur,
and there is a reason. The reason
is that by so doing he can assist to
set up a sytem Of furnishing life Jobs
for white-collar men 10 go through
certain motions of supervising This
fake called government trapping.
II his theory is to be adopted and
the American plan of developing the
west shall be changed to suit the
whims of such men as Mr.. Metcalf.
then let us have the whole works
Turn over these great copper, gold
and silver mines to the government
and let 1t market the product, pay
ing small salaries to the persons who
do the work, Drawing the wilds to
discover and perform the labor to
take out h ore. The pcssibilitios
for white-collar Jobs thereby ere un-
limited and instead of a half million
men or SO to supervise the daily life
OF the common people of America
and to tell them low much they
shall eat and what they shall wear
there may be as many as twenty mil
lien.
The White Pine News declines TO
enter into a discussion OF the merits
of Mr.. Metcalf's fancied figures OF
what he OF somebody else "estimat-
ed" or promised would be. re,
turned. None of these estimates and
promises have PANIED out and they
are a joke.
The News will only say in answer
to mis- query Of why the White Pine
News is SO interested in this partic.
ular phase of the taxpayers problems
that his question is exactly the one