Salt Lake Herald-Republican | 1919-02-23 | Page 37 | Tonopah Journal is after Smelter

TONOPAH JOURNAl IS AFTER SMElTER Now ow that the matter of or putting the thc local smelters und under r the supervision or of orthe orthe the public utilities commission In Utah is under consideration b by the Legislature Legislature Legisla Legisla- ture tune tho the following caustic editorial from the Tonopah D Daily ih Times published published pub pub- hed in the greatest silver sll camp Inthe Inthe in inthe the world will be o of Interest to both legislator and mining man here bere The Times sa says s 's While the state legislature Is struggling with the many problems that naturally confront a law abiding bod body tho the sug suggestion e has been made that the members get bus busy and enact some kind of a law that will curb the smelter octopus This is one ll law that has been needed needed need need- ed ever since the smelter trust was formed and the thc men anon who have hao devoted devot devot- ed their talents and energies to the sweetening of or the worlds world's wealth have havo patiently patient waited for sonic some relief either cither at tho the hands of ot the state or of tho the government Surely tho tile state has the tho right to supervise the op operation of public utilIties utilities util util- and If any line lino of oC endeavor comes under that caption thep then the smelting of oC ore lore applies to that proposition The Thel l Idea ea that the owner of ot a copper mine or nn any other producer of ot the precious metals m may v be hampered In the tile development development development devel devel- of his lils prop property simply because a market is not IlOt afforded for his product product prod prod- and solely by arbitrary unreasonableness unreason unreason- on the part of ot the tho smelter Is absurd to sa say the least leastA leastA A law should be enacted placing tho the operation n of or smelters and samplers sam sam- pIers in this state under full fuU control a reasonable charge for smelting should bo be provided there should be a state assayer and sampler and the smelter smeller trust should be forced to pay for tor the metallic contents and anti allow full fun value alue for or those tholo contents There should be no discrimination between the big and the small producer and the tho smelter smeller trust should not be permitted permitted per per- to decree that if It a matter was produced it would not purchase tho the product Mining should be encouraged by every even possible means Laws should bo ho enacted that will be of ot benefit to the prospector the small operator and the large producer There Thero should beno bo lie bono lieno no favoritism shown because it has al always always al- al wa ways 8 been tho tile little fellow tellow that has been the making of ot the bIg UIg lJ fellow Nevada e ada is a n region of ot great richness richness rich rich- ness there remains vast areas of or Irgin virgin sir vir gin territory to be bo exploited the old camps still lUll possess untold riches and b by operation cooperatiOn amon among every per person on interested and with Ith the support of ot the legislature of or the state the tho smelter smeller trust can questionably be brought to toU U time an