The record-union., 1895-10-09
\ REMARKABLE APPOINTMENT

\ REMARKABLE APPOINTMENT.
Whoever has followed the correspond
enoe between the representative of the
land interest Of the Central Pacific Rail-
road Company and q committee styling
itself Committee for the Protection of
Mineral Landsr of the State Miners AS
ISOLATION will have been impressed with
the fact that the latter has uniformly re-
ported to the public in advance Of direct
ing its communications to its corre-
spondent.
1t transpires now that the committee
had no authority from the State Miners
Association to incur the expenditure of
ten or fifteen thousand dollars for al ex-
animation of mineral lands; and it will
occur to any thoughtful reader of the cor
respondence that the Mineral Lands
Committee was from the first very uncer-
tain of it's ground.
But the most remarkable denouement
connected with this interesting matter is
the proposed appointment of an arbitra-
tor on behalf of the State Miners Associ-
alton named Benjamin. This man Ben
jamin is not q mining engineer. AS a
leading miner characterized him, HE is
very fair sewing machine agent"
A. II. Ricketts,. Chairman of the self
styled Committee for the Protection of
Mineral Lands, declared, when the rail-
Ioad proposition was first formulated,
that he would not withdraw any protests
filed by the committee, on the ground
that they were filed, not as representing
the State Miners Association, but as
representing his private clients, Ralston
and Benjamin.
This man Benjamin il q protestant.
He has made oath, whether as q dummy, as
client of Ricketts,, or as an Independent
factor in the case, to protests alleging the
mineral character to hundreds of thou
sands OF acres of land. It is also asserted
by those who claim to know that he is
directly and personally interested in the
discrimination of questions relating to the
mineral or non-minersl character of GER
tain lands.
When the railroad company selected an
arbitrator 1t went into the mining country
and selected among the miners them
selves one of their most trusted and COM
petent mining engineers, Mr.. c. E. Uren
of Grass Valley.
When the Mineral Lands Committee
made selection, they picked up client
of the Chairman of the committee, who
had already sworn that the lands about
to be examined were mineral in their
character. Thus the parties claiming to
represent the State Miners Association
made an appointment that was not only
unfair, but indecent. Men making a
prstense OF fairness, expecting to be
credited with ordinary honesty, would
have avoided a selection of this character.
Some good purpose might have been ac-
oomplished by the appointment of an i'm
partial, high-minded commission to pro-
duce evidence in the Land Offices of the
United States touching this much vexed
question. But the selection of a party
who has already signed his name to sfli-
davits and protests involving hundreds
of thousands of acres. and who is himself
personally interested in the determine
ton of the question he is to arbitrate. is a
manifestation on the part of the Mineral
Lands Committee which would naturally
be expected OF men OF small natures.
The State Miners Association. con-
ducting one Of the most important in
dustrial interests of the State, will either
commend or condemn this action. We
do not believe that 1t will by any possi-
bility be commended. We do not be-
lieve that State association will brand
Itself with this species OF small-minded-
ness. A committee. pretending to repre-
sent it, has placed it in the light of seek
ing an Illicit advantage by appointing,
not an impartial arbitrator, but an opin-
donated partisan, and one, too. who has
already thoroughly and completely COM
mitted himself to the conclusions which
the com mmission is to be appointed to seek.
Ifthe commission proceeds with BENJAMIN
on The one part. Ii will scarcely be nsc-