The San Francisco call., 1895-10-09
SENT A POINTED ANSWER,
Reply of the Miners to Land
Agent Mills Form of
Agreement.
a LETTER THAT PUZZLED
The Executive Committee Winds Un
Its Business to Report to
the Convention.

The executive committee of the Califor-
MIA Miners Association held its last meet
ing before the convention Monday evening.
The chairmen of the several committees
reported; several matters of more than
ordinary interest to the association were
discussed and a keenly caustic answer, to
Land Agent Mills form of agreement was
read. Present were: Chairman J. 81.
Neff, w. W. Montague. S. K. Thornton.
J. NJ. Wright, ]. J. Crawford, Thomas r.
Church, Daniel T. Cole, A. Carrigan, Julian
Sonntag, A. G. Myer, J. w. c. Maxwell,
Professor S. B. Christy, John McMurray,
Thomas V. Reardan, A. II. Ricketts,, t. L.
Ford and W. c. Ralston.
A. II. Ricketts,, chairman of the COM
mittee on the protection of mineral
lands, read his answer, in which he
officially notified Land Agent Mills of the
railroad company that the association re-
jected his form of agreement submitted
under date ofSeptem Der II.
The committee based its action on the
following reasons:
First-Your proposal nowhere specifically
provides for the submission of any lands
commission, whereas it is the Judgment OF this
committee that all the unpatented lands
within the limits of the grants in question
should be submitted TO such inspection.
Second-You propose that the chief function
OF the commission shall be to furnish testimony
for use in divers land office proceedinss
whereas II is the judgment OF this committee
that the decision OF such commission should be
conclusive 10 which OF such lands are
mineral and therefore to be Immediately
% relinqulshed by your company to the Govern
ment.
Third-You propose no definition OF what
the commission shall consider mineral lands,
whereas, II Is the judgment OF this committee
that the statutory definition adopted by Con-
gress in the Idaho-MOnthna act is the only safe
definition.
Fourth-You nroDosa No CO stisfentorv dioDosi
tlon of the pending protests which it is the
purpose OF this committee to maintain and
prosecute 10 final determination in due course,
or until your company shall have relinquished
the mineral lands affected thereby.
Many other objections 70 your proposal ex-
list, but they are all so closely connected with
the foregoing that il is unnecessary TO specif-
cally enumerate them.
On former occasion you informed this COM
mlttes that you had not yet read beyond the
first paragraph OF the proposition of this COM
mlttee under date of September II, 1895.
Your proposal OF october 1, 1885, is so entirely
lacking IN the element of precision which the
committee hold to be essential that the mem
bers OF this committee constrained to be-
leTe you have not read this proposition in its
entirety, and you are again commended to its
careful peruSal with the assurance that you
will find ii the same careful protection of the
nights OF your company which ii affords to the
miners Of California.
Chairman Ford, on the legislative COM
mlttee, reported the prospects of the hy-
draulic miners improving. The Legisla-
ture set aside $3.50, 600 for their benefit and
the committee hope to get as much from
Congress. At present the committee is
working to get several amendments to the
statutes that win benefit miners.
Chairman Carrigan of the committee on
bylaws reported that the principal change
contemplated in them was to make the
association self-sustalning. Placer and San
Francisco counties, he stated, bore the
brunt OF paying for the associations exist
ence- He proposed to introduce an amend
ment calling Tor annual dues to be paid by
the merchants and manufacturers of San
Francisco and by the State mining compa-
nies belonging to the association. He sug-
gested that individual miners be exempted
from paying dues.
Chairman Montague of the finance COM
mittee reported that the financial future of
the association was rosy, but the glow had
hardly begun yet
He stated that the San Francisco mer-
chants were all highly interested in the
Miners Association and wanted it kept
up. They had promised good contribu-
tions.
Daniel Cole suggested that the counties
of the State be called on to contribute to
the Miners Association fund just as they
contributed to the annual agricultural
fairs.
J. NJ. Wright called the committed s
attention to the fact that E. II. Benjamin
will probably be appointed commissioner
Tor the ASSOCIATION ana that he had sworn
TO the protests on mineral lands against
the railroad company. He said that the
matter might look little odd on the
record and he suggested that ii be straight
ened out so that nobody could question
the integrity of the association. He asked
for the sense of the committee as to how
the commissioner should be appointed.
After some discussion motion was car
ried that Mr.. Benjamins appointment as
commissioner be accepted on all lands
where he had not sworn to the protests.
The other questions went over to next
Monday, when the miners will meet in
their regular convention. There will
probably be about 400 delegates present.
Yesterday afternoon the legislative COM
mlttee held long meeting in the Office of
Mr. Ford, the chairman, preparing the re-
port that will be presented to the conven-
ton. The report will suggest many i'm
portant changes in the present mining
laws. One feature that brought out con-
siderable discussion was a clause in the
Caminetti law by which fines and impris-
onmenu could follow violation of the law,
even though the violation should be the re-
suit OF ignorance or carelessness rather
than criminal intent. This criminal clause
excited the wrath of the miners at the time,
but the bill would have been killed out
right had there been protest. Steps will
be taken to have the Objectionable clause
stricken out or at least modified.