The San Francisco call., 1897-07-04
UNITING MINERS
AND FARMERS
An Important Committee
Conference of Both
Interests.
Planning a Big and Harmonious
Campaign for the Improve
ment Of the Rivers.
Congress Will Be Asked for More
Restraining Dams and for Ex-
tensive Dredging, Too.

An important conference between q
com mittee of the California Miners Asso-
citation and one from the Anti-Debris
Association OF the Sacramento Valley was
held Friday afternoon in the rooms of
J. H. Neff in the Palace Hotel. The meet
ing was arranged for the purpose of
ence to the protection and improvement
of the rivers in such way that the min
ing interests might be fostered and the
lower portions of the streams cleared and
improved at the same time.
1t was the most significant getting to-
gether of the long hostile interests Of the
valley and the mountains that has occurred
since the olive branch was first held out
al the meeting of the Miners Association
in 1892. But new war against sluice and
drift mining in Nevada County, begun
short time ago by the anti-debris people,
threatened a new rupture, and to ar
range this the meeting of Friday was
brought about, though it was in line with
the general plan OF the executive com nit
tee of the Miners Association, which has
been pursuing conciIiatory policy.
The mining programme is to endeavor
10 secure at the next session of Congress
dams, that the reasonable resump ption OF
hydraulic mining may be fastened. ard
to secure at this same time adequate ap-
proprlatlons tor the improvement OF the
navigable portions OF the streams for the
benefit of the valleys. 1t is proposed to
agree upon programme of this sort and
to harmoniously push it along.
SO the plan is to ask together for the
improvement of both the upper and lower
portions of the Sacramento and San
Joaquin. The meeting yesterday was the
first formal step in this direction.
The Miners Association was repre-
sented by President J. H. Neff Secretary
Julian Sonntag. TREY l.. Ford and Ed
ward Coleman of San Francisco and
James OBrien of Yuba County. The
Anti Debris Association was represented
by Manager w. A. Phipps of Marysville,
Attorney Robert T. Dsvlin and William
Johnson of Sacramento and DR.. burst of
Yuba.
The private conference lasted during the
afternoon and the most cordial good feel
ing and disposition toward cooperation
was manifested. The whole subject of the
relations between the miners and the Val
ley people and their interests was gone
over in general way, and the under
standing that the Anti-de bris Association
would be fair and indulgent toward the
mining industry was perfected.
No definite plans as to what should be
specifically done were advanced, but an
other conference was arranged for the 30th
inst, and meantime this important new
cam paign will make great progress.
'lt was one OF the most mportant con-
ferences held in this CITY in long time,"
said Secretary Julian Sonntag. sit was
the first time that the whole relations of
the mining and valley interests were ever
gone over IN detail by representatives of
both interests. Toe conference lasted
four hours and nothing but good feeling
and disposition toward fairness was ex-
hibited by either side. The Camnettl
act in all its bearings, the effectiveness of
restraining dams. the effects of detritus in
the rivers, the effect of the prosperity of
the mining regions on the prosperity OF
the valleys and the whole subject gener-
ally was gone into. The anti-debrs COM
mittee was not empowered TO agree to
anything, but it was arranged that the
executive com mittee of the Anti-Debris
Association and the Miners Association
should meet and consider the situation
soon and that another conference should
De held on the 30th inst"