The Coconino sun., 1923-10-19
POLITICAL MINING


Editor Bill Kelly of the Graham County Guard,
ion takes exceptions to our recent editorial aDOut
some of the short comings Of the big INNING com
panies in avoiding all taxation possible also as TO
their nolitcal activities Editor Bill is too poht
icallv astute to really believe that anyone ex-
pecting to be elected to any responsible offlce IN
Arizona would launch any political PLATFORM an
tagonistic to the mining industry. Ii ne has any
doubts on that subject he might lnvestlgate ootl
poitical parties If he secured inside facts ne
would know we were speaking by the card Speak
ing of bolshevism, we might suggest there are
two kinds-the ones who want no one 20 own
ANYTHING and the other kind who want 60 own
it all or control it all. 1t the mining companies
confined their operations to mining alone they
would be able to mine without vast amount OF
overhead now charged to mining.
The amount of taxes paid does not enter into
it. If feller only owns a NANCY pup ana pays
the So tax on it, he is paying ms propoftlonaIe
amount of tax-probably more, for he is paying
100 per cent. While many mining companies pay
IN in the hundreds of thousands, they are not
paying so per cent of what they snoulo Oh ene
nroperty If the tax commissions hgures are
correct, the mining companies took oue :
of all the mineral in Arizona last year-that is,
all they paid taxes on. In another two years ac-
coiding to this Arizona will be plumb out OF ore,
consequently there will be no more revenue from
this source. The rancher, stocknan and farmer,
will have to pay the taxes to support the state
government after these two years are up When
a mining company figures 1t can not make any
money here or back east, 1t SHUTS DOWN the
works and our population decreases IN these cen
ters. There is no special heart interest In Keep
ing up the mining center-Clfton, for instance
Bill lust pointing out as we go along. Ii all the
hio main mining companies are eventually consol-
idated, Bill, which according to grapevine, is not
bevond good guess-where will that put Arizona
stickers? Which mines and towns WAL pe Ilfss
to kill off in the interest of keeping up the price
The consolidators will settle that without the aid
or consent of the people or their votes.
The overhead attends to all such details along
with a sufficient representation In both old par
ties to be present at all inside conferences.
Reverting to the rancher, stockTalser and OJhef
pursuits of kindred nature, he can't shut down
and bulkhead his outfit He must go on Ihey
do not even give him sliding scale-he takes
the splinters with his slide. His only hope is to
keep on as far as his creditors will let him, rather
than turn loose his stock to die.
Nope, Bill. Thousands spent for lawyers, news
papers and political representatives, is not mining
and eventually won't pay dividends.
Just remember, Bill, there are the two KINDS OF
boIsheviks. The ones who want the earth tanned
and controlled at their word and the other kind
who hope the whole damn thing will blow up be-
fore they have to go to work. Strange, but one
class seems to help build up the other while the
great middle class of citizens pay the freight for
both extremes.
There are mighty few of the great majority of
voters of the state who believe in putting pen
atty on outside capital invested in the mines OF
Arizona They do object to outside interference
with internal affairs when it appears they can
spend all kinds of money for political engineers
instead of mining engineers. We need mining en-
gineers. The state has too many of the political
kind now
It won't be very many years before the ICON
solidated interests" will figure out that all the
great majority of the people of Arizona want is
a square deal and will cut off a lot OF overhead
expense.
Also Bill why pay for the kind of prOpagan-
.da being sent out broadcast the kind that prompt
ed the editorial in question If the mining COM
panies have been honest, straightforward and
playing with their cards on the table, why pay
money to press agents to bunc the people?