Helena weekly herald., 1874-05-21
THE MINERAL SURVEY FORCE.

OF which the -aphfnhifH ana 4RH0TSOn'Hh
Join hands in administering an editorial cas-
,igation. is an order issued from the Surveyor
Generals office rcvoking the appointments Of
certain persons heretofore accredited as
Deputy L. S Mineral Surveyors. Upon his
arrival and assumption Of the duties OF his
office. Col Smith found among other bust
ness awaiting his attention an important mat
ter relating 10 the agricultural and mineral
surveys of Montana. Under instructions
from the Department at Washington he pro-
cceded to the work before him. and as thor
oughly and as promptly as possible carried
out the orders Of the authorities above him.
of first Importance. upon evidence submit
ted to him through careful examination of
the records Of his Office, appeared the neces-
sity of reorganization of the Deputy Min
cral force This force, numbering seven
teen persons. residing in different parts of
the Territory, for whose efficiency and COM
potency to discharge their duties the Surveyor
General was largely responsible, was soon
ascer;aincd. in several cases, to fall below the
requirements contemplated by their appoint
mcn,. Thereupon eight of the Deputies,
shown by the records to be incompetent, had
their appointments revoked, notice Of which
fact was sent To them, accompanied 10y the
statement in each case. that application Tor
rc-appointmcnt would be favorally enter
tanned upon the person so applying appear
ing 1T Helena and passing an examination and
establish his fitness to perform the duties OF a
Mineral Deputy.
We have taken some pains to visit the Sur
ycyor General office and obtain facts upon
which to base a reply TO the extraordinary
ac, asations of the Virginia papers. In re-
Spouse 10 our inquiry concerning the several
Deput 5 removed hy the Surveyor General.
Chief Clerk Bailey submitted for our scrutiny
the records Of the Office, the instructions from
Washington directing the action of Colonel
smith. etc The case as affecting the COM
potency of the Mineral Deputies was clearly
established, in our judgment, the records tell
ing story anything but tlattcring to the sur
vcying abilities of the aggrievcd parties. Es-
pecially did We find this to be true in the case
of the Virginia City Deputy, who seems to
have inspired the articles of the local papers
in their unwarrantable reflections upon the
Surveyor General for the very proper and
entirely justifable action in this matter.
We fail to understand what different course
Col. Smith could have consistently pursued in
dealing with subordinate officers whose gross
carecssness or glaring incompetency in
mineral surveys are before his eyes-a con-
slant reminder not only of their utter unfit
ness to perform surveys and draw the ncces-
sary plats and papers required to obtain for
clients Government title to property, but of
the danger to fOllow-as in Nevada, Color
ado, Utah. and other mining sections-tO
those who, having, as they suppose, patents
covering valuable property. find themselves
in litigation and liable to the loss of their
possessions. 1t is unquestionably in the in
terests of the people of Montana that Survey
or-Gencral Smith has pursued tho course he
has in revoking the appointments of certain
of the Mineral Deputies who have been
weighed and found wanting in requirements
fitting them to discharge the duties of their
positions. Col. Smith has no purpose to sub
serve in the interest either of himself or of
the deputies found to be competent aud re-
naming on the force, in denying any section
of Montana representation upon the list of
surveyors of this class. 1t would be satis-
faction to him, as we have heard him declare,
if every county in the Territory could furnish
men practically fitted and competent to do
mineral work. Such men, however, are
scarce. and outside of Helena, where most of
the surveyors of the first class to be found in
the Territory reside there are only few per-
sons answering to the requirements of the
Deputy Mineral Surveyors position. Itis no
fault of Col. Smith, or of Helena, that the
best and the bulk of the surveyors of Montana
centre here. nor will any one presume to say |
that such surveyors, by reason Of the emi- |
ncnt qualifications and distinction earned In |
their professional work, arc not entitled to |
remain undisturbcd and retain their appoint |
mcnts SO long as they continue to show their |
10y such evidence as cannot at any |
time escape the attention Of their superior
We are fully convinced, from what We have
learned by consulting papers and plats on file |
in the office of Col. Smith, that if he has act |
ed vigorously in this matter, he has acted |
justly. not only toward the Deputies, but to-
wards the people whose interests In the pres
pnt case are paramount and of primary i'm
portance. The Surveyor General has been
guilty of no 'high-handed outrage, and the
will retract that language when 1t