The San Francisco call., 1898-12-11

The meeting of the executive commit tee of the California Miners Association the other evening afforded considerable of interest to mining men which could not be fully set forth in the brief reports ,n the daily papers. The thirty members present discussed some of the important things the convention placed in their hands and ways and means to increase for the ends the potentiality of the as- sociation in money and membership.
 President Neff concisely urged that some plan was necessary to raise money to carry out the purposes of the conyen- tion.
 "The serious question before this asso- citation in the near future,'' he said, will be the securing of further Congressional appropriations for restraining dams and river dredging. An active committee has been appointed which will probably call for money before long. There is much else to do besides"
 One result of the discussion of ways and means was the adoption of a practi- cally new plan for getting members and money through the county associations. A general effort Is to be made to get min ing operators and companies in sympathy with the association to require each em- ploye to enroll his name as a member of his county association and pay the regu- lar $1 a year dues. This, 1t was suggest ed, might be collected by the employer at the rate of 50 cents each six months. Several approved this idea. A. H. Ten Broeck of Fl Dorado said that it would be done at the mine he was interested in and Attorney J. M. Wright promised $25 of the thirty miners that worked for it. It was the idea that mine-ownerS be brought in and enthused and be induced to require this small degree of co-opera- tion. from the men who are wholly de- pendent on the industry.
 Heretofore and at present consider able proportion of the membership of the county associations has been made up voluntarily of working miners along with mine-owners, merchants and citizens gen. orally interested in their chief industry; but this plan would vastly increase the membership and money if generally ac- cepted by mine-owners who have indus
 There are nearly 10000 working miners thing that helps the industry from the chances of employment to the values of their lots. if they have them. the chances % hold 'd and all all the indirect blessings that that flow to a community through general prosperity. The plan is good and fair one.
 The matter of stirring up county organ izations, organizing new counties and re- organizing associations that are dozng, was a topic. One said that with proper efforts the biggest organization in the State could be formed in Tuolumne, and by the remarkable gold mining develop ment which that old county is now en- toying, it Is not to be doubted MT. Hammond of Butte reflected the enter prsing mining spirit that has been awak- ened in that county and displayed a de- sire to see things stirred up. He reported a proposition on foot to establish per manent county mining bureau and exhibit in that county, for which he said s100C could be raised in Oroville, and he was rot disturbed when Charles G. Yale recalled that Shasta did that and the exhibit soon petered out. It is to be hoped that Butte time. A county mining bureau, like some other things, will flourish while there is