The Ely miner. [volume] (Ely, Minn.) 1895-1986, 1935-02-22

the mining INDUSTRY is 10 contribute TO
the public purse, it may be said that
a mining industry seeking to retain its
most valued minerals, developing new
processes and plants, giving value to
ores not now used, will pay far more
in reasonable taxes in the generations
to come than will decadent industry
unfairly taxed and seeking the inn
mediate exhaustion of its properties or
abandonment of its operations. In
fact, the only hope of sustained public
revenues from mineral taxation is to
sustain the mining industry upon a
profitable and permanent basis.
Northeastern Minnesota has been
blessed with the greatest resources ever
bestowed upon any like area Of land.
Develop these resources, coordinate
them all with their possibilities of
mutual benefit, match the beneficence
of the Creator with sound human
judgment and intelligence and the
generations which are to come in Nor
theastern Minnesota will live in great
security, prosperity and happiness.
The third consideration for per-
manent stability and prosperity in
Northeastern Minnesota rests in the
conservation of every pound of high
grade iron ore. We have been so oc-
cupied in criticising the past for its
waste and destruction of virgin pine
that we have not conceived the present
exhaustion of the most valued iron ore
reserves. The high grade iron ores of
the Mesaba range are Minnesota's most
valued material possession. The pre-
eminence of the Minnesota mining sec
ton and the Lake Superior district is
founded upon these high grade, easily
mined ores. Remove them and Min
nesota loses it's defense against the
competition of other mining regions. A
combination with rich iron ores is
essential to the best development of low
grade deposits. The utilization of a
both normal and emergency demands,
is essential to national defense and the
stability of all industry. Those people
who have come to Northeastern Mime
sofa to develop it's lands and labor in
its mines have made great contributions
to the progress of their state and nation.
A helping hand should be extended to
them in their hour of need.
The best relationships between agri-
culture, forestry and mining will do
much for immediate help and future
stability. But the greatest prosperity
of the mining section must depend
upon the mining industry. The agri-
culture of the cutover lands will not
build or sustain large communities.
Forestry will not build large towns.
Important as farm and forest may be,
these elements alone will not sustain
the present range communities with
rs, 900 people, maintain the institutions
of the range villages and cities or fill
the stores of range merchants. Per-
manent prosperity will depend upon
sound and permanent activities of the
mining industry. The prosperity of
the mining industry will be the pros
perity of the iron ranges, the per-
manence of the iron industry will be the
security of the iron ranges and their
people.
There are two contrasting attitudes
towards the iron mining industry of
Minnesota. One group regards the iron
mining industry primarily as pro-
Queer of public revenues.
No one contends for special priv
ileges in taxation for the mining in
dustry. No one contends that the min
ing industry should not be fairly and
adequately taxed. There is no criti-
cism of policies which establish ade-
quate public institutions or liberal
standards of government. The criti-
cism is of present realities, conditions
under which liberality has expanded
into waste and extravaganza, conditions
which the sponsors of the principle of
liberal taxation cannot, in their hearts,
defend.
The attitude which regards the min
ing industry primarily as a source Of
public funds, has now had the test
of time. Its results are well known,
High taxes for the mining industry
have been generally defended on the
basis that iron ore was a rapidly de-
depicting resource and that the public
should lay aside MONEYS AGAINST the