The Ely miner. [volume] (Ely, Minn.) 1895-1986, 1927-07-15
ARROWHEAD HEAD
At MEETING
DIRECTOR JAS. MOONAN OF
THE ASSOCIATION AND SEC
RETARY HOEFLER OF COM
MERCIAL CLUB ATTEND AN
NUAL MEETING IN DULUTH
MONDAY.

passage OF the CONSTITUTIONAL anenC'
ment last fall and the establishment
of sound policies for the taxation
and management of forest lands by
| the state legislature last winter
Minnesota must now turn toward
the conservation of its mineral re-
sources, James H. Harper, president
of the Minnesota Arrowhead asso-
citation, declared at the third annual
meeting of the organization in Du-
luth Monday afternoon.
Representatives from the twenty
five member clubs in the Arrow cad
country attended the gathering, dur
ing which Mr.. Harper and the asso-
citation officers submitted their an
nual reports.
"There is the same possibility of
destroying or impairing the mineral
resources of Minnesota for want of
a policy that there was in the hand
ling of forest lands" Mr.. Harper
said.
Mr.. Harper outlined the campaign
conducted by the Arrowhead asso-
citation throughout the state last
year to secure the passage of the
reforestation amendment and again
during the legislative session in es-
tabfshing a new policy toward cut
over lands and the restoration of
the lumber industry in Minnesota.
Citing figures to show how the
accumulated trust funds of the state
have come from the sale of lands,
royalties on mineral lands and ore
taxes and from the sale of state tim
Der, rs per cent Of which are from
the natural resources of the Arrow
head country alone, Mr.. Harper
pointed out the necessity of the con-
servation of these resources for the
benefit of Minnesota as a whole.
"These vast treasures consist
mainly of mineral reserves and for
est lands" Mr.. Harper said. "The
income from these funds is divided
between the schools, the university
and state institutions. More than
80 per cent of the entire endowment
goes to the school fund. of the in
come so distributed in proportion
to the 100000 school children in
Minnesota, rs per cent came from
the natural resources of the Arrow
head country while less than 16
per cent is apportioned to this area.
AS these funds are increased here
after, the benefits will still flow to
all parts of the state and therefore
the financial interest of the whole
state in their increase is five times
that of the section from which they
are derived.
"There is the same possibility of
destroying or impairing mineral re-
sources for want of policy adapted
to the conditions that there was in
the handling of forest lands. There
is the same reason for studying the
taxation of mineral resources that
there was for the studying the taxa
ton of forest lands and products.
There is the same benefit to this
section from intelligent treatment of
state problems bearing upon mineral
resources that there is in a sound
treatment of forestation problems.
And there is every reason to believe
that, once the facts are known and
understood, the entire state will re-
spond in the same manner to the
development of mineral resources
that was shown toward forest re-
sources.
'HThe alternative in the case of
forest lands was whether they and
the country whose future is linked
with them should be left derelict,
or whether state holdings and pri-
vate lands together should be de-
veloped to their fullest possible
values. The alternative in regard
TO mineral lands is whether the
surfaces riches shall be SKINNED
or whether the greatest possible
value shall be extracted from them
both for the trust funds and for the
industrial prosperity of the Arrow
head Country and the wealth and
benefit of the entire state"
Mr.. Harper announced that the
tourist business in the Arrowhead
country is growing yearly beyond
the dreams of the organizers of the
association three years ago. Plans
are also being made to publish ar
agricultural map of Northeastern
minnesota as part of the campaign
to develop the dairy and poultry
business.
"We are succeeding in selling
the Arrowhead country to the Am.
erican people as a great recreationa
region and in like manner shoulC
tell them the dairy and poultry OPP
portunities of this section of the
state" he said.
Fred D. Vibert, executive director
of the association. in his report de-
clared that census figures show
that the greatest development il
agriculture in this section wa:
cached when the numbering indus
try and iron ore exploitation ant
development were at their height
Therefore, the development of ou]
agricultural land depends upon tn,
development of our forests ant
mines" He also gave an accoun
of the publication of thousands O.
new Arrowhead maps, pamphlets
golf course lists, and tour books TO
distribution to tourists this year.
"The problem of conserving on
natural resources for future reve