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Show DEI Mil II IS I INVESTMENT Unique Position Is Assumed by State Commission on Taxation. . IS INCORRECT STAND Utah Mine Operators Fail to See Logic of This Theory. That, the hoard of commissioners ou revenue and taxation for the state of Utah has some extremely unique and in-(cresting in-(cresting ideas in regard to what constitutes consti-tutes mine investments, was apparent lo a large number of Utah mining men who wore meeting Saturday evening at the Commercial club. The meeting was held under the auspices of the Utah chapter of the America a Mining con-" con-" gross and under discussion were, matters mat-ters of i m porta rfee to the mining industry indus-try of the state now pending before the legislature. Tho -hoard of commissioners above mentioned in its report to the governor ; set, forth that "We consider work done , for the development of a mine to be in I the nature of an investment rather than an expense, and we sec no good reason why the cost of development work sho'uld lie deducted in order to determine deter-mine the amount of net proceeds." Would Prohibit Prospecting. Jt was pointed out at last night. V meeting that such a theory embodied into a law as desired would prohibit prospecting. It would eliminate all chances of properly developing a mine, for in view of all the uncertainties that attend mining in hard rock ma 113' drifts, crosscuts, raises, winzes and tunnels are driven in the legitimate endeavor to open new ore?, yet frequently no ore results. It is this blind work frequently frequent-ly that brings ore bodies to view, that makes dividends and taxable assets, and to discourage such work means imperfect imper-fect mining and the doing away, nine J Hues out of ten, with ultimate succesa. To consider this dead work, usually expensive ex-pensive and without results, as an investment in-vestment puiH an entirely new and untenable un-tenable phase upon mining. At the previous meeting of the mining men a committee composed of George P. Dern. chairman ; ('. E. AUcn, W. II. King. Cr. W. lambourno and Duncan iW.acVichic was appointed, to be known as the legislative committee. Last night this conunittce was increased by the addition ad-dition of IT. G. McMillan, .lesse Knight, W. Lester Mangum and Ernest Bamberger. Bamber-ger. This committee is charged with the responsibility of advocating or opposing op-posing such legislation as may bo favorable favor-able or detrimental to the mining industry. in-dustry. Rideout Bill Discussed. Among the pieces of legislation now before the legislature ia the Rideout. or employers' liability bill. Jt was pointed point-ed out last night that many believe some such law is expected in" Utah, although al-though sentiment has not fully ervstal-lized ervstal-lized in the mat lor, and whatever is attempted at-tempted should be carped out along lines of justice aud fairness to both the employer and employee. George IT. Dern, chairman of the legislative committee, com-mittee, oxplnlned the stand of tho mining min-ing congress in this matter, which is committed to tho theory that the victims, vic-tims, of industrial accidents should be cared for, and that every industry 13 responsible for its own accidents. Mr. Dern snid in part: One of the chief ndvanlapretf of a workmen's compensation law. from an employer's standpoint. !s to do away with litigation. Litigation Is wasteful, botli of money and time, lo wij' nothing of lUs effect on tho nervcH. Furthermore, It IcnclB toward to-ward strained relation between tho employer nnd IiIh men, and thcreforo works for Inefficiency. The end to be dcslrod Is an automatic settlement settle-ment of all rlalms, on a fixed basis. Instead of the employer fighting1 to SPttlc for as little hh possible, and the employee fighting to get as much as possible. Too many of us, when we settle with an injured man, feel that we have done an act of charity. It should be considered a matter of Justice, not charily. Liability Insurance. As T look at It, another of tho prime purposes of proper compensation p.ct 1h that it will obviate the necessity or carrying employer's insurance. I suppose most of the operators preu-cnt preu-cnt carry insurance- of that kind. JJrobably very few of us havo ever figured out what proportion of the premiums we havo paid to Insurance companies is paid baHt to our employees em-ployees In settlement of claims. T think It is no very great secret that liability insurance companies only pay back about one-third of tholr premiums in losses. The other two-thirds Kocsfor commission?, expenses, ex-penses, dividends, ote Now, then, If it only lakes one-third of our pre-miuniB pre-miuniB to settle our accidont clalniK, it In as plain as tho noso on your face that, with the sauio kind of adjustment, adjust-ment, under a compensation law. our rates would be reduced; and with the ii.'Uiin rates an wo are now paying, our Injured men would get more money. Poroonally, I would rather see the money go to the men who need It and deserve it, instead of to the Insurance In-surance companies, because It would promote harmonious rolatlonu between be-tween the employer and his men, which, of course, again spells efficiency. effi-ciency. I have not ihe statistics to back up my statement, but I am very Ktrongly of the opinion thai a proper compensation law would not Increase the cost of mining. I think we aro paying nut just as much money now as we would under such a law, only most of It goes to another place, |