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Show About on Reservations U-Boom Once more the white man Is Indian to good advantage this time in the uranium mines of Arizona and New Mexico. And for their work the Indians are getting a good share of the profits. Feelings among the Navajo Indians are mixed. Some feel they are being exploited by the white man, but most of them like the uranium boom and the money it has brought to them. Mining companies employing the Navajos in Using the Cortez Chamber Is Active, Alert in practically all civic affairs and especially cooperative With service clubs is the Cortez Chamber of Commerce, of which Donald G. Hutton is president The board of directors meet each Tuesday at the Hotel Cortez at noon, and Mr. Hutton declares he is proud that not one member is ever absent without a good excuse," At present, the C of C is busy developing landscaping of the new Denny Lake recreation area as a city park. Other activities center around sponsorship of a youth recreation program each summer, promoting civic interests, studying legislation concerning highway, mining and tax proposals, and it generally undertakes all duties of any Chamber of Commerce," says Dean P. Hanson, manager. On the board of directors are: Cal Beaber, James E. Bertwell, David Burr, Wayne Denny, Clyde Gores, Ronnie Klatt, Vincil Lester, Jess Nerhood, Ivan Patterson, Maxey Stephens, Tom Walker, Hermit Wilber and Dr. T. W. Quinn. Vice president is Buford Wayt, teller of the Citizens State Bank of Cortez, and the treasurer is L. R. Peterson, manager of the Cortez Lumber and Hardware Co. Active In Cortez It's PATTON BROS. For HUDSON Fine Motor Cars Texaco Petroleum Products exploration, mining and milling work praise them highly. But members of the Navajo Tribal Council have let it be known they are not pleased with the way the uranium rush is affecting their reservation. the Atomic Energy Although Commission has requested the Nav-ajonot to disclose the amount of revenue received from uranium work, round estimates given by the Navajos indicate an annual income of about $710,000 to the Navajos and the three New Mexico Pueblo areas of Zuni, Canon-cit- o and Laguna. It is simple to calculate that since the Indians received a 10 per cent royalty on uranium ore, uranium production from the districts would have a value of approximately $7,100,000 a year. The AEC says the average uranium oxide content is .33 per cent, therefore the table of payment published by the AEC would indicate a production of about 140,000 tons. That amount of ore would have an annual production of 924,000 pounds of U308, figuring 6.6 pounds to the ton. That does Police Protect Cortez Residents Agriculture, Livesfock Provide Mosi Revenue CORTEZ This town of less than 3.000 people has a police force of seven officers to protect it, including the chief and the jailer. Chief of police is Charles P. Neher, and the patrolmen are: Clyde Hutchinson, Tom Hutchison, George W. Allen, Robert N. Blowers, and C. C. Schneider. The police magistrate is Charles Hart, the jailer is Attley Coppinger and the police matron is Mrs. Attley Coppinger. The police force was increased from four to seven in 1953 when Indians were first permitted to use liquor legally and the town of Cortez experienced difficulty with them. However, since then the number of arrests of Indians for intoxication has decreased until Chief Neher no longer considers it a serious problem. The 1955 budget for the police department is $36,000, as compared with only $18,500 for 1954. The two principal industries of Cortez and Montezuma county, according to the Cortez Chamber of Commerce, are livestock raising and agriculture. Value of products produced by these industries is about equal. Since 1945 the mining industry (uranium and vanadium) has made steady growth toward a ranking position of economic importance. The allied trucking industry now depends heavily on Cortez for service and mainten-- : ance, thus bringing new money into the community. Recent oil and gas discoveries in Montezuma county point toward a new and bright economic future, says the Chamber. Dry ice is presently being produced from a well located in MeElmo Canyon 15 miles from Cortez and has a capacity of 80 tons per day. 7 Indians Have Mixed Feelings a lot of material. It is, potential and still production is increasing. seem like Ski Lift Hauls 400 getting engineers helpers, prospectors, miners and laborers. He added they are some ol the best people to work with Ive ever encountered. Cook said the same applied to the Indians being used at Anacondas Jackpile mine. The Indians are grateful for the work, too, according to Dewey real property officer for the United Pueblos. He related they are working themselves up from common labor jobs to skilled work with uranium equipment. In the fiscal year ending last June, some 50 Pueblo Indians were working on uranium projects, and they drew a monthly payroll of about $28,000, for an average of $560 per month. That is a lot of money for a people who, until the uranium boom, were limited O.K. Rubber Yelders to working as section laborers or common laborers on railroads or George A. Fry field as agricultural workers. Service Tire Since June of last year- many Complete more work to in uranhave gone Phone 243 ium, but just bow many is not around $50,000 a month in royalties. Thats not the real figure but its somewhere around it." McCabe is not permitted to give out exact figures because of a council edict declaring the figures to be classified. The Atomic Energy Commission has classified such information as deals with production figures as relating to uranium oxide and concentrates: anything to do with the ore testing pilot plants on the Grand Junction compound; ore treatment; and the workings of the various mills. These are general headings under which several appear. The AEC be. Sales & Service Willys Cars, Jeeps, Trucks Tires Tubes Accessories VARIETY STORE and complete lodge has Deen built at Stoner to accommodate as many as 70 people, and is open the jear round. NAVAJO BUTANE COMPANY E. L. (Fat) Elliott Proprietor Air Star Mail Route SERYEL Refrigerators Electric Ice Machines Automatic ft Appliances Electric Appliances Farmers tary, says the tribe is Colorado r lieves that should actual revenue to the Indian tribes and agencies What Is believed to be the only be released publicly, it would be air star mail route in the nation a simple matter to calculate actual operates out of Cortez to White production. Therefore, the edict Canyon, three times weekly. against such publication. It is known commercially as the In the Colorado Plateau area of eastern Arizona and western New Cortez Flying Service, and in one Mexico are several uranium com- year alone will haul some 37,000 of freight and mail on the panies and it is their policy, gen- pounds White Canyon run. In addition, erally, to employ the Indians from some 300 passengers will be transwhom they have leased land. The contracts provide for the use of ported. Indians on any jobs where it is Cortez Flying Service uses Beech-craplanes to make the flights, as possible to use them. And they have proved to be ex- well as a Super Cub and a Piper. cellent workmen. F. S. Cook, assistant to the manager of Anacondas big mill at Grants, N. M., According to the fiscal report of the United Pueblo Agency for the last June, the ending period Laguna, Zuni and Canoncito leases brought in $110,950.32 from uranium. At Window Rock, Arizona, Mau- described them as very, very rice McCabe, Navajo tribal secre- good workers, equipment operators, Cortez CORTEZ The Sky Hi Ski new 2800 foot lift at the Stoner Ski Course, 28 miles from Cortez, has a capacity of 400 skiers per hour, and affords a vertical rise of 1000 feet. A new Clubs For Quality Appliances Pharmacy Cortez PHONE 212 Colo. Cortez Colorado Dis-muk- e, known. The Navajos have considered the uranium rush as a mixed blessing. Most of them are pleased with the extra employment and the money the boom has brought to them. However, McCabe, the secretary-treasurer of the council, relates there is resentment beaus the reservation is being overrun with a lot of small mining companies, many of them He describes them speculators. as not a very desirable element far as actually getting mining operations started. We are beginning a have a lot of different small operators who come out here and find it is not what they expected. So they pull out without paying their debts. That leaves bad feelings. VALLEY QUEEN Always Uniform Quality FOR SALE At YOUR FAVORITE STORE Made By WARK MILLING CO. (Founded in 1926) Cortez Colorado JOHNSON & YOUVAN so DAY AND NIGHT WRECKER SERVICE Your Ben Franklin Store Patton Bros. at 406 W. MAIN CORTEZ, COLO. 21 E. Main St. Cortez Colo. J. J. HARRIS CO. BANKERS Resources $4,000,000.00 Member Federal Deposit Insurance Corp. Serving Southwestern Colorado Since 1886 We express our sincere gratitude to the people of this Southwestern area who have permitted us to assist in the development and growth of this region. May we all continue to prosper and grow through the coming years. J. J. HARRIS CO. BANKERS Dolores, Colo. According to McCabe, who also is a Navajo, much pioneering has been done on the Navajo reservation during the present uranium boom. We feel that the experience we have gained will be valuable to other tribes, and we will welcome their questions. CORTEZ Assessed valuation of Cortez property, real and personal, in 1954 was $2,788,350, and the rate of taxation was 14 mills. Twelve mills was for city operation, and two mills for the sanitation district. Schools levy was not included in the totals. Uranium production has become a $100 million U. S. industry, says Jesse Johnson, head of the AEC raw materials division. Complimenfs of Cal Uranium Naturita, Colorado NUBS Phone 48J12 THE TELLURIDE IRON WORKS 400 Maine Ave. ENGINEERS Durango, Colo. MANUFACTURERS CONTRACTORS AND SUPPLIERS Butler Steel Buildings Goodrich Industrial Rubber Dodge Bearings 8C Drives Joy Mining Equipment American Blowers Fairbanks-Mors- e Pumps and Motors & Almar Minerals Moab COZITACT CODE Utah Wickwire Rope T1W Mine Cars TIW Car Transfers |
