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Show INTER-MOUNTA- IN Duty and Sampling of Lead Ores. British Columbia has a valuable ally In the United States in promoting the smelting industry, as is shown by the recent acts of Congress and ruling of the Treasury Department. Whatever may have prompted the movement it has certainy stimulated the smelting industry in the province. The reduction in the tariff on lead from 1 cents per pound to of a cent stimulated the mines in development in the silver-lea- d both the East and West Kootenays. Even the few low-graproperties began or contemplated operation. But suddenly the smelters were informed that ore carrying a greater value in lead than in silver would be taxed for the total tonnage rather than on the lead contents. Following this is the act which passed Congress in May establishing Government sampling works at Bonners Ferry, Ida., and Northport, Wash., through vrhich all British Columbia lead ores must pass and be of the sampled. Not less than one-fift- h shipment in each case must pass through the sampler. Now let us look at the present situation and the effect that such ruling de and acts will produce. The situation in British Columbia for the past few years has brought about results which today are approximately as follows: There are three smelters in operation in the province, two of which were built and are owned by citizens of the United States. Only one of the three today is smelting lead ores, but the other two contemplate adding lead stacks. The mines of the province have been discovered and developed more largely by Americans than by all others combined, and Americans are almost alone in the desire to purchase and develop silver-lea- d mines, Canadian and European capital preferring gold mines. True, some Canadian capmines ital is invested in the silver-lea- d of the province, but it is greatly in the minority, and it may truly be said that American money and American brawn are the greatest factors in the development of the silver-lea- d industry of British Columbia. The same is true of the smelters. Under the ruling of the United States Treasury department a carload of ore shipped from these mines to a smelter in the United States and containing 1200 pounds of lead, having a .value of 3 cents per pound, and fifty ounces in silver, worth 68 cents per ounce, would present the following value to the producer, without counting deductions for mining, freight and treatment, but deducting for duty: CONTEXTS ONE CAR OR TWENTY TONS pounds lead per ton lead per car at 3c.) 50 ounces silver per ton 68c 5 retary has taken it into his own hands where fuel is cheap and the product to levy duty and declare imports. This may be transported by water to any ruling would not seem so peculiar if it part of the United States at a low cost, had a precedent or if all lead ores were withouf sampling obstructions and taxed for the full contents; but if the without duty on silica. That once acowner of a mine in the same district complished, and the large silver-lea- d should be so fortunate as to have a ore tonnage which is being handled by. few or many more ounces in silver to the several railroads from those mines the ton or ore and were able to pay will almost entirely cease. this silica tax he would not be comThe Mining Review has recently pelled to do so; for did this ore contain but four ounces more silver per ton, and no more lead, the values of each metal being the same as in example above, then the silica tax would be removed and the miner would be a gainer thereby to the amount of $120 per carload. Below I give an example of the American protection to Canadian industries. The owner of the mine the ore of which is shown in the above example has an opportunity to avoid the silica tax in part or in whole by having his ore treated on the Canadian side, because the tax on bullion is but of a cent on each pound of the lead contained therein. He takes a carload to the Canadian smelter, but a few miles distant, and built by an American to treat the ores of an American miner in British Columbia, with the result that he saves the $120, or he can afford to divide that amount with the smelter and still be gainer, and in no fear of the silica tax. But fearing that the bonus which the Canadian Government is giving the smelters in British Columbia is not sufficient and that the honorable Secretary of the United States treasury has but half done his duty, now comes the United States Congress and enacts a law which accomplishes two results, disastrous to the interests of the United States citizens, it is true, but aiming no doubt to assist the people of British Columbia in the establishment of home indus- made brief reference to two important mining decisions one by the Supreme court of the United States, in effect that a valid location could be made without marking the boundaries of the claim or posting a notice of location, and the other by the Supreme court of California, that holders of an option on a mine, in the event of their failure to complete the purchase, might recover from the owners the amount they had paid, even though by agreement such payment was forfeited. These decisions are of the utmost importance, as each is a reversal of former rulings and of customary practice, and they have aroused deep interest among mining men. It is possible that some error has been made in their interpretation by the first newspaper reports, and the official reports will be published by this tries. A bill is passed by Congress making two points along the Canadian border ports of entry for lead ore and at which points all lead ores entering this country from the Kootenays must be sampled. This takes one railroad out of the field of competition on ores entering the United States from these points and also compels the mine owner to have all crude ore sampled at one or the other of these works, located respectively on the Spokane Falls & by private wire direct from the exchanges, and marked up on the board every fifteen minutes from 8 a. m. until 1 p. m. It is something new for this community, but the local operators are journal as soon as they are available. In the California case the ruling was not directly upon the point referred to, but it is held to be capable of such Chance to Speculate. Salt Lake speculators are now, for the first time, afforded an opportunity to trade on the New York and Chicago markets, and are provided with facilities for taking advntage of every fluctuation on the Eastern stock and produce exchanges throughout the day. This new departure has been inaugurated by Mr. J. C. Dougherty, late of Pueblo, Colo., who has established a brokerage office at 43 West Second South street. Quotations are received already manifesting considerable interest. The market will doubtless witness frequent and violent fluctuations during the next few months, and those who are shrewd enough to call the turn will reap a harvest. Mr. Dougherty does business on a strict commission basis, and as he has been mingling with the bulls and bears for over eight years, he is in a position to give valuNorthern railroad at Northport, Wash., able Information and advice to his cliat ents. He is correspondent of the John and on the Great Northern Railway G. Morgan Brokerage company at Bonners Ferry, Ida., It must not be understood that this sampling is to be done gratis, for nothing, for such is Mining Incorporations. not the case. A fair compensation for New State Mining company (Provo) this work will not be less than $5 per carload of twenty tons, or 25 cents per Capital, $150,000, divided into 150,000 shares. J. R. Farrar, president: J. I. ton. It will also, if operative, succeed J. W. Farrar, Bullock, in removing the most economical means secretary and treasurer. The company of transportation the Canadian Pacific owns two claims in the Tintic district. Midland Mining company Capital, Railway company. I say operative $100,000, divided into 100,000 shares. G. because It is only fair to presume that L. Bemis, president; J. E. Kerrick, F. A. Virtue, treasurer; the Canadian Pacific company will make some effort to control a fair share Frank Hoffman, secretary. The company owns eight lode claims and one of the business in its own territory, and tunnel claim in West Mountain district, that they will succeed may be pre- including what is known as the Bonanza, or Damphool group. sumed. Santa Ana Gold Mining company I feel sure that the act and ruling Capital, $400,000, divided into 200,000 to what to addition in S. they shares. W. above cited McCornick, president; C. and J. Canadian Steedman, the for already accomplished A. H. McCornick, secretary. treasurer; people will result in the establishment The company owns the Santa Ana and of a smelter at Vancouver or some Missouri mines in Albany Flat district, other seaport in British Columbia, Calaveras county, Cal. vice-preside- ORE. 1200 MINING REVIEW. (2400 (1000 pounds $ ounces 720 680 nt; vice-preside- Value per car of twenty tons $1,400 DEDUCTIONS. $ 180 Duty on lead (24,000 pounds) 120 Duty on silica and gangue Duty ?ic. per pound on total contents or 40,000 pounds $ 300 As there is nothing said in the bill about taxing the silica or other gangue matter contained in lead ores it appears to an observer that the honorable 0. B. Wise in Mining. Sec- - vice-preside- nt nt; |