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Show WEIL PROTESTS ABOUT COPPER TAX Telegraphs to Senator Smoot, Giving Reasons for Opposing Measure. IS SPECIAL TAXATION Declares Agricultural Crops Have Also Benefited by-Great by-Great War. R. C. Gemmell, general manager of the Utah Copper company, last night wired to Senator Reed Smoot, setting forth the case of the copper industry against the proposed revenue act that would place a heavy tax on copper. The telegram follows: fol-lows: It is impossible for us to present statistics on such short notice, as the compilation of them would take weeks and probably months. This revenue measure provides for a drastic tax on the output of copper, which means that for the first time in the history his-tory of .this country an output tax would be imposed. I presume that tills tax is predicated upon the principle prin-ciple that it touches a few and will not be complained of by the many, but this is a principle contrary to every conception of right and justice jus-tice and one which would lead to reckless dissipation of public funds. In times of national distress all should be willing to make sacrifices, but to single out an industry in times of profound pro-found peace and make It bear an extraordinary and unusual burden is contrary to sound economical principles princi-ples and repugnant to the spirit and purposes of our institutions. Why Select Copper. It may be said that the copper business has enjoyed extraordinary prosperity as a result of the war In Europe and, therefore, that it. Is legitimate prey, but what of wheat and cotton and the output of the steel mills? Almost everything consumed con-sumed In this country has been benefited bene-fited in price by the war in Europe. Systems of taxation should not be based on temporary conditions, but upon broad and universal principles, and the basis of all taxation should be a Just and equitable distribution of the burdens of government among those benefited. Why should tlds I particular Industry be singled out and . made to bear an extraordinary and ! unjust burden of taxation? It may be because the states in which it flourishes are comparatively few and of minor political importance and because their voices are considered to be weak in the councils of the nation. na-tion. This proposition should be defeated, de-feated, because it is class legislation. It only affects to any considerable extent ex-tent seven states out of the forty-eight forty-eight in the union, namely, Arizona, California, Michigan, Montana, Nevada, Ne-vada, New Mexico and Utah. It would be unjust to burden these states wdth this special tax, as taxes should be general and not specific. Statistics Given. Copper prices for the ten years prior to 1915 averaged cents per pound, while the average cost of producing copper is close to 11 cents per pound. The difference should not be considered consid-ered entirely as profit, for the reason that mining dividends, or profits, represent rep-resent a portion of the capital invested, in-vested, and stockholders know that they are getting back a part of their capital when receiving dividends. At the beginning of the war, and for six months subsequent thereto, the copper cop-per companies were operating on a 50 per cent basis. The metal was selling at from 11 to 12 cents per pound and many of the companies were losing instead of making money in an effort to keep their plants going go-ing and their men employed. This tax would seriously retard the electrification electrifica-tion of railroads; tt would affect every ev-ery telephone, telegraph and electric light company, and. in ordinary times, would put many copper companies operating op-erating on a close margin out of business. Wages Advanced. Due to the increased price of copper, cop-per, wages have been advanced three times, so that employees have participated partici-pated in the prosperity of the copper companies. Since the war began materials and supplies used by mining min-ing companies have advanced from 25 to 300 per cent, and this also has cut into the profits of the copper companies. com-panies. Many mines heretofore idle are now producing because of the prevailing pre-vailing high prices of the metal, and when the price of copper decreases, as it surely will before long, to something some-thing approaching normal prices these mines will have difficulty in operating at a profit and should not have a special and unjust burden imposed im-posed upon them. Many millions of dollars have been invested In the copper mining business, and it must be remembered that in the case of some properties millions have been so invested without any return as j-et to the investors. The prosperity of the seven states mentioned and tho ! welfare of the Inhabitants of those states would be disastrously affected j if this unjust measure should become a law. A great Industry of the west that i is temporarily prosperous has been attacked at-tacked and every possible effort should be made to defeat this proposed pro-posed tax. 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