The record-union., 1897-10-20

NavigabIe Rivers.
SAN FRANCISCO, Oct 19.-The leg
islative needs of the miners were dis
cussed at to-day's session of the Cali
fcrnia Miners Association. The spe ak
ers included Governor Budd, Congress
men Barlow and De Vries, Tirey 7
Ford, John P. Irish, john M. Wrigh
and E. T. Cooper, State Geologist.
President Neff, who has served five
successive terms as chief officer of the
association, had decided to retire, but
| to-day he yielded to the nportunitie;
OF his friends and decided to again be &
candidate. The election is the Specia
order for tomorrow morning, wher
many delegates think that Nef will bt
chosen unanimously. although there i:
much talk of the candidacy of job.
Daggett, who also wishes to be Presi-
dent. T. J. Parsons of this citv seems
to be slated for Vice President.
1t was decided to appoint sub-con1-
mittee of three to act with the Executive
Committee of the Anti-Debris Assocla'
ton in urging upon the United States
Debris Commission the Importance o.
procuring immediate protection of th'
navigable rivers by restricting barriers
as provided in the Caminetti Act.
CONVENTION PROCEEDINGS.
SAN FRANCISCO, Oct. 19.-Wher
the convention of the Miners Associa-
ton of California came to order this
morning John p Irish was recognized
as a delegate representing the State
Board of Trade. President Jacob H
Neff presided.
Marion De Vries, member of Con-
gress from the Second District, deliv-
cred ar address. in which he assured
the miners of his cooperation in the
effort to secure revision of the FEEDER
al mining laws.
The Secretary read a series of resolu-
tions adopted by the Santa Clara
Miners Association, pledging the sup
port of that organization in all the ef-
forts to be made by the miners for a
revision of the laws and the establish
ment of Mining Department Of the
Federal Government.
| J. M. Enright of San Francisco, a
member of the Committee on Dredging,
read the report of the committee on the
| proposed improvement of the Sacra-
mento River. The report embraced
many statistics prepared by the Mis-
sissippi River Commission in relation
to the dre<ying of that river. The
Committee on Dredging reported:
I'm the opinion of your committee,
while it is desirable to construct a sys-
tenn Of restraining dams to hold back
| the debris already accumulated from
former hydraulic mining, pending the
/ investigation of the subjects of jetties
and dredgers, yet such restraining
dams will not avail to any large extent
in bringing about the results this as
sociation was primarily organized to
promote, namely, the restoration to the
| hydraulic miner of his right to use and
enjoy his own property to the full ex-
tent of it's value, a privilege not denied
to the owner of any other class of
property.
Notwithstanding the short time in
which your committee has been able to
work, still your committee has collected
! a large amount of valuable data re-
garding the subjects entrusted to it's
care, which, with other material yet to
| be collected, will be Systematically
! treated in future reports of your COM
mittee; and your committee are already
able to assure the miners of California
! that it is quite among the probabili-
/ ties of the near future, not only that
the owners of a few small hydraulic
mines may mine here and there in Sc
/ cluded gulches of the Sierras under the
| fostering care of the California Debris
| Commission, but that by the establish
nent of a proper system of jetties in
! the Sacramento and San joaquin Riv-
ers, supplemented by the use of power
full dredging machines, such as have
been recently constructed at Govern
ment expense, hydraulic miners every
where may mine without fear of the
baton of the Marshal and without OBJ
| lection from their friends and neigh
bors, the farmers"
The report was received and filed.
The annual report Of w w. Mon
tague, as Treasurer of the Miners AS
sociation, was read as follows: Balance
of cash on hand, carried over from last
year, $E37 50; cash received from the
| Secretary during the year. 50. 1856 80:
amount disbursed, S1,947 80; balance
on hand, S777 %.
A telegram from Major Frank Nc
Laughlin, dated Los Angeles. was read.
Major Mclaughlin expressed his regret
| ton. and declared himself in full svn-
pathy with all the measures which the
miners have under consideration.
| The following telegram from ten
members of the Plumas County Min
| ers' Association was read:
Quincy, Plumas County. October 1S.
| 1S97.-Secretary of the State Miners
! Association: The members of the PIu-
mas Mining Association and the peo-
| pie of Plumas County generally are
unanimously in favor of the Hon. ia
cob III. Nef for President of the State
Association, and hope the convention
viii re-elect him.
The Secretary read the report of the
committee appointed to confer with the
Debris Committee in relation to the
construction of restraining dams. The
report recommended the appointment
of a committee to exercise all its infiu-
ence to bring about an early commence
ment of the construction of the dams
State Mineralogist Cooper was then
| introduced. and made an address upon
the State Mining Bureau. The address
! showed what the bureau had accom-