The Ely miner. [volume] (Ely, Minn.) 1895-1986, 1933-05-19
On This
Occasion
Just q few thoughts by the Editor
ON things Material and Immaterial.

other range papers that they
had about reached the end OF
their rope, the matter was
looked at in the nature of a
joke and it was freely charac.
terized as a bluff" by company
baiters and the mthinking;
The bluff" has been called
Those who were so loud in
denying the companies relief in
the matter were those who had
nothing to lose and all to gain
by their attitude. Now comes
the weeping and wailing.
Those who are hit are the
laborer on the city streets who
has been receiving a little work
in the shape of a dole to keep
body and soul together and the
Ely merchant and professional
man who can see nothing in
the way of business in sight
until the matter is settled
through the courts. And courts
are very concise and take their
time to make decisions.
1t has come. On top of all
our other troubles, comes the
ultimatum of the Oliver Iron
Mining Company to the effect
that they would not pay taxes
after May 81, being the first
half of the taxes for 1882.
The October payment will go
by default this year and the
matter taken into court. Ac-
cording to our way of thinking,
the courts will decide in favor
of the mining interests in this
matter as being strictly con-
stitutional inasmuch as all taxes
shall be equal as to the several
classifications. Instead of soak
ing an extra 10 per cent on the
advalorem and then adding
thereto a stockpile tax, a re-
serve tax, an occupation tax
and a royalty tax, the prospects
are very strong in favor of de-
Gliding the matter on the basis
of a personal property and a
real estate tax with the same
valuation for the home owner
and the mining companies.
The range communities will
suffer and this is a foregone
conclusion. The mines are
closed and only a very few are
working to keep out the water
and keep the mines in some
kind of condition should there
be a resumption in the future.
The force of men ordinarily
employed in mining are out.
Last summer the city council
furnished few additional days
to men working eight days a
month to help out. At present
we do not even have the eight
days. Up to the end of this
month city labor warrants will
be cashable, but after that,
what? County warrants are
rubber and the banks are
loaded with frozen city, county
and village paper.
st. Louis county tried to sell
$1,500,000 worth of relief
bonds early in the week. The
opening of bids was scheduled
for Monday and when the time
arrived for the opening of bids
there were none to be opened.
st. Louis county, the richest
county in the state could not
float the needed bonds. This
showed the frame of mind of
the investors in bonds. The
situation is serious and the
longer it holds on the more
serious it becomes. Monday
was the second time bonds were
to be sold by the county.
To further complicate mat
tiers, according to the financial
interests of the country who
have been buying these munich
pal, county and state bonds, the
claim is made by the bond buy
ers that the talk of Governor
Olson wherein he stated that he
would invoke martial law in the
state and conscript wealth to
aid in relief measures, was one
of the causes for the with
drawal of bond buyers from