The Ely miner., 1930-02-28
On This
Occasion
lust a few thoughts by the Editor on things
D Material and Immaterilai

CeSSOr 10 IOWDleyS ) bSstoSA "iASAi SA.AS
gentleman had the state ana the OAK
otas by the pants and under MS pun
landed the party in the dump from
which they have never been aple 10
arise The sponsors of the new sheet
are all familiar in political annals OF
the state and have been in the pubnc
eve for many wears. Their names have
appeared in every new party named
and in the major parties in times
back.
In the initial issue the down-staters
RIM true to form. Almost the entire
sheet is given over to laying out
course of conduct for the party and
particularly in the northern Eighth
Congressional District and the first
thing the new paper does is to read
VIM. G. Carss out of the party. We
don't know whether this will affect
Mr.. Carss very much as this gentleman
has been aware for some time back
of the superfluity of this bunch and
more so since some of those mentioned
have taken the conduct of the world
under their wing and are shaping
things towards a personal meal ticket
for the lame ducks and unSatlstled
which now constitute the leaders IN
the organization.
It wouldn't be so bad if they con-
fined their efforts to manipulating the
political affairs of the Eighth Dis
trict but they are splitting their venom
at the industrial affairs OF the north
country and particularly at the mining
industry. In an editorial the paper
exhibits spasms of glee over the failure
of attempts made by the range men,
bers in the legislature to cut the ton
mage tax from to 4 per cent or tne
repeal altogether in an effort to as
sist an industry which is furnishing
the state with about 80 per cent OF its
ready cash Afer choking in laughter
over this grand larceny joke, the F. L.
Leader advocates an increase in the
tax to 10 per cent.
ssss
We don't know whether the Farmer
Labor adherents subscribe to this kind
of a platform The down-staters (not
alone in the F. L. party) are contln-
ually throwing monkeywrencheS into
the machinery of both politics and in
dustry in the northern end OF the
state This is their divine right, so
they think, by their ability to out
vote us in the northern section. All
we are expected to do is to pay the
taxes for this, that and the other, and
turn the other cheek for another wal
lop. This Might Makes Right" theory
plunged all the Christian nations into
a bloody war only few years ago
and the lesson taught by the Golden
Rule does not seem to apply to the
south end of the state who see us In
the north only as perqulslte Tor
lot of politicians and something to keep
up the running expenses OF the state.
In advocating raise in the tonnage
tax the paper says, "It ought to be at
least 10 per cent. The state should get
as much as possible out Of this, its
natural heritage, before the day arrives
when there will be only ugly holes in
the ground marking the places from
which there was extracted natures
most useful of metals" This may be
a beautiful sentiment but sentiment Is
not what made Minnesota one of the
greatest states in the Union. Sent
iment did not furnish a trust fund OF
over 60 millions to the state and sent
iment did not build cities in the iron
ore district, neither does sentiment
feed the thousands therein. Industry
did it and mining is a major in
dustry of the state Sentiment did not
locate the iron ore, neither did it de-
velop mines.
If the rank and file demand such
confiscatory taxation measures, there
might be a chance of talking the mat
ter over and arriving at some salts
afctory solution. The advocates of
course of conduct for the northern
end of the state from the first "thou
shall not" to the last in the whole
category, are either those who have
filled their can" from timber, mines
or real estate or are ex-politicians
who have never gotten anywhere, or
ever will, and are attempting to feather
their nests at the expense of the far
mer or the laborer who is paying dues
and fees to keep presidents and sec
retaries in luxury, the farm the far
mer" class so to speak. The whole
thing smacks of the Communist doc
trine of "let us divide everything we
havn't got and keep what we have" :"
ssss
In the fur farm hearing before the
grand jury in Minneapolis two wit
nesses told the jury that it cost $4,000
to get any kind of legislation passed
In this state and that legislator had
guaranteed to have favorable fur
ranch legislation passed for tnat
amount of which he was to get $1,000
We don't believe this as all the legis-
lators we know are not that kind OF
people If $4,000 was all that was
required to pass any kind OF measure
st. Louis County would have been
1,,@ of
before this. Of course, we are not ac-
quainted with all the members of the
legislature and are only speaking from
personal acquaintance with represen-
tatives from the northern counties
whom we have found as real people.
We will say however, that should this
be the truth and $4,000 will do the
trick the sponsors of the 1870 ton
mage grab would be taking up COL
lection right now. We also believe
that some one would have some kind
of a Job prying the bunch loose from
the ten grand if once they got their
mitts on it and in all confidence make
the statement that, following such
sworn testimony, it will also be some
Job passing any kind of legislation
smacking of the special" kind.
The down-state policy of killing the
goose that lays the golden eggs with
multitudinous taxes on the mining in
dustry will please notice that out of
1876 mines in st. Louis county alone,
126 are idle while SO are operating
Taxed to death is the verdict. How
many of the SO would succumb under
a ten per cent prescription by the tax
doctors, is hard to tell No one is
opening new mines because the minute
you find iron ore on your property
you are pauperized with taxes. Raise
the occIIpation tax to ten per cent and