The San Francisco call., 1896-03-13
Names to Be Suggested to Cleve.
land When the Mineral Act
Is Passed.
SENATE AMENDMENTS TO BILL
TREY L. Ford Has Wired for Instruc.
tions-Gold Exchange Recognized
in the East.

Expecting the speedy enactment by
Congress of a law providing for the Gov
eminent examination and classification o1
all mineral lands in California the presi.
dent of the State Miners Association ap.
pointed q committee of four yesterday
whose duty it will be to recommend to
President Cleveland men whom the Min
ers' Association consider able to act as
commissioners under the mineral act bill
that has already passed the House and
has been slightly amended by the Senate,
preparatory to being referrt back to the
House for final approval.
At the last meeting OF the Miners Asso-
citation President Neff was empowered to
appoint a committee of recommendation,
which he has announced as follows
Charles F. Hoffman, John M. Wright,
Edward Coleman and Charles G. Yale.
This committee met for organization last
night.
According to the proposed law California
will be divided into four distri cts and each
district will have three Commissioners.
one an actual resident and a practical
miner and the two others appointed from
anywhere the President may see fit.
Ex-State Senator Lirey l.. Ford, who is
in Washington for the Miners Association
in the interests of the bill. has wired for
instructions as to what course he shall take
regarding the Senate amendments as
printed in yesterdays CALL in the tele-
graphic dispatches from Washington.
President Neff sent him return mes
sage last night asking for more details.
Speaking of the amendments Julian
SonDtag, secretary of the association said !:
THE Senate's amendment making a
Commissioners pay $40 day and allow
ing nothing extra for expenses l think is
a good idea For myself l believe in pay
ing men good salaries, but 1 think that
good, competent men can be secured as
Mining Land Com mmissioners that are not
looking just for the emolument. 1t ought
to be means of attracting men of standing
to take an interest in the mining industry.
But the pay is not to be so much considered.
Think of the magnificent opportunity the
Commissioners will have in inspecting
mineral lands to strike something rich for
themselves. What is to prevent them
from getting patent on big mining in
terest If they come across it?
'As to the other amendments they are
not in any way detrimental to the purpose
of the original bill"
A copy of TREY L. Ford's speech on
March 4 before the House Committee on
Rivers and Harbors was received from
Washington yesterday by the Miners As
sociation.
He has asked the Government to dupli.
cate the $250,000 appropriation made by
California for the improvement of heI
rivers and the removal of the debris. AT
ter reviewing the debris question in this
State, and asserting that it would be
cheaper to collect the debris washed from
the hillsides before it could reach the rivers
than it would be for the Government to
Il -
would suggest the following item be in
serted in the river and harbor bill wher
finally made up: For the construction O
works for the protection of the Sacramento
and San Joaquin rivers in California, $780,