The indicator., 1897-09-04
MINING MATTERS.
FEDERAL MINING LAWS.
sugE-stions Made u. to Changes That Are
Needed.

At various times efforts have been
madp 10 amend the federal mining
| laws, or rather, to get into some klnu
of practical working shape the cum
! bcrsomc mass of conflicting mcmor;ln-
J la known as the federal mining stat
| utes. In the last twenty years several
attempts have been made 10 secure
| some satisfactory federal action, hut
| each time senatorial courtesy allowed
/ Senator Stewart of Nevada ,who has
| copyrighted mining law of his own to
sidetracli any and all efforts In that di-
! rcction lie annually Introduces his
own law and occasionally has II passed
| 10y the Senate, which is as far ns 1t
gets.
Last November the California State
| Miners Association appointed II com
mittee whose duty it was To prepare
| such legislation as WAS deemed neces-
| sary to he submitted to the annual CON
yention which meets next October,
and, If reported favorably, 10 be pre-
sentcd at the session of the Fifty-tifth
| Congress next December. Ii is under
| stood that that committee is now pre-
| pairing such report
At the recent international Gold Min.
ing Convention. held in Denver. Colo
RADIO, II committee WAS appointed To
take up the matter. Under date of the
| 18th instant. the California member of
| that committee writes as follows:
80 the Editor.-IIavlng been np-
pointed by the Trnnsmississippi Con
grvss member of the committee To for
mulnte suggestion to the Congress
| of the United States with II view to the
| alteration or amendment of the mineral
| land law as ii now exists, ! have the
! honor 10 lay before You The amend
| mcnts which, to me personally. seem
| necessary, and 10 ask for criticism and
! suggestion on the part of miners and
of those taking an interest in the min
ing industry. | assume that all will
agree that the present statutes are cum
bcrsome. fruitful of litigation and al
| together unsatisfactory to the legiti-
nntc miner. AS far Is the laws touch
ing placrrs are concerned, | am of the
| opinion that they may I've left about
as they now are. would amend them
simply by extending the list of min
erals subject to location under the
placer act and inserting all the use
full metals and cartlis, as well as the
coal oils, hydrocarbons. bauxite. man
azitc. etc, etc.-in n word. all the nat
| ural substances used in the arts and
the subject of commercial utility. As
to the laws touching veins or lOdeS:
"Frst.-I would do away with the cN-
ira lateral right altogether. But, in
order that those who prefer to keep
this right may have their choice |
would permit patcnting under the pres
cnt law until January /, 1900.
'Second.--I would make the unit of
location l,o0ox1 900 feet in the form of
n square. or, if there he not available
ground to that extent, then any amount
less and of any form. In order that
flat or lowdipping deposits may not
he too soon lost by passing beyond
the lines of surface location, l would
allow the same person or persons to
take up an additional claim of LOGON
900 feet on the side of the dip-the
same person to he allowed not more
than two such claims in the same dis
trict.~
'Third.--l would Ito away with the
annual expenditure tSl0W as now, and
in Its stead require Il payment to the
United States surveyor general, or to
some proper officer. of the sum of 500
for each claim, in cash. every year un-
til patented If less than 1,O0Ox 900
feet. then n less proportional amount,
In consideration of this payment, n
deputy of the surveyor general shall.
upon call. be sent to the district and
authoritatively fix the location. Fur
thcr. in order that no snap Judgment
be taken. | would have a district re-
cortier appointed whose duty should be
simply to take the names of the loca-
tors in the order presented to him 50
that first come should he first served
the recorder to he obliged to forward
such list or lists to the Office of the sur
,rpnnr.,1 II lp.i in p.lrn and
every month.
'rlerc are other minor details which
can he attended 10 before finally pass
ing the amendments. The abovc-mcn-
toned three will. think. furnish ma
ter enough for the present. would
add that persons wishing to crticise nr
alter might address their replies 10 you
The matter is pressing, as the commit
tee meets on Saturday, September 1tl
next. w. ). KEY ES, NJ. E.
There are probably. very few min.
crs in the United States who will moi
heartily concur i'll the suggestion OF
Colonel Keyos that The extra lateral
theory and practice he abolished alto
eether. and with it the apex. parallel
end lines. etc. which have done more
10 make vuNations and expensive min
ing litigation in this country than any
thing else With the exception of Bu
iivia, no other country has II similar
statute.
In II very short time the Californi;
member of that important committee
will meet with his colleagues, and any
criticism. adverse or affirmative. will
aid him in placing these matters before
the conference at Denver.-Mining and
Scientific Press.