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Show MINE TAXATION. I In the course of an editorial on the i subject of mine taxation, the Ogdcn Standard aserty that Salt Lake news-1 news-1 papers are dominated by mining men and intimates that, in consequence, these newspapers are endeavoring to so- j cure exemption from taxation fori wealthy mine operators. The Standard continues: "It is all nonsense to declare the value of a mine cannot be approximately approximate-ly .determined. A property turning out $14,000,000 or $15,000,000 a year and yielding dividends of $5,000,000 or $6,000,000, with land holdings of 400 or 600 acres, should be required to pay taxes on more than the price paid for the ground to the government, which may not exceed $lo00. The ' correct theory of1 taxation is that the expenses of government should be apportioned in ratio to the ability of the property owners to carry the burden. All our tax laws are being constructed along those lines, including inheritance and income taxes. "Farm property today is taxed on a valuation arrived at by estimating the production of the land. Why should not mines be taxed on the same basis?' This seems to indicate very clearly that the Standard 's reasoning on miue taxation is entirely accurate, but that it is ignorant as to the facte. What' mine operators desire is precisely what ' the Standard asserts to be the correct ' method of taxation; that is to say, on j production. For The benefit of the j Standard, though at the ri k of wearying weary-ing regular readers of The Tribune, who i are naturally better informed, we wish ! to say that mines are subject to a j threefold tax by the state: First, on j the value of the ground, this being do-j termined by the prhe paid the gov- j em men t for it; second, on thu surface improvements; third, on the nt pro-I ceeds of the mine. In other words, the mines pay taxes on their real estate and improvements, and a further tax on their production. This method is the only accurate one of taxing a min. As the Standard assort-1, the farm W taxed on the basU of its production.; that is to Eay, its usefulness, and a mine should be taxed in the same way. A mine's usefulness 5 the ore that, ran he tfken from it. V.'hcn this oro it taken o-it and becomes productive, it should be |