The San Francisco call., 1898-11-28

The seventh annual convention or the California Miners Association convened on Monday of last week and adjourned on Tuesday. As is generally known through the reports of the daily press, number of resolutions concerning pending legislation of importance were adopted and reports of some importance were read. The perfect harmony which has characterized the association since lts or gaulZauon was preserved, when SIlshtty LhTea tened, by re-electlng agaln the only president the association has ever hao'
 But one new thing of importance was brought up during the convention. mat was the question of the need or impouhu- the State the waters which nood tng many mountain streams in the spring ana leave the stream beds and valleys ana sometimes the present lrrlSatn6 u!lCnes! miners fumes and electric power plants in Watery poverty in the fall This idea was vaguely expressed in q ally. referred to any committee, but it is a new thing in the industrial economics of California and 1t Is of transcendent importance. It is not a sen satiORal matter for the newspapers; It will attract attention but slowly and II any practical results are reached It will be years in the future. But 1t Is a part of the record of this miners convention that this new and broad idea of impound- ing for power and irrigation purposes the mountain waters of the State was nrSt then set forth. Any one who in even COInpIeAenQS the. possibilities of the waters or the western slope of the Sierra Nevada range will recognize in this brief suggestion tremendous pOtentality of the future and. probably, the futiltty Of saying much about it now. It may be observed that this may be counted as one of the com pensating lessons of the drought. It is well to be cheerful under all clrcum- stances
 No one can forecast much about the next years future of the association from the convention. 1t dealt wisely. quietly and well with those old and very lmpor- tant matters of the mineral lands bill, the need of a Secretary of Mines and Mining, etc. and left the affairs of the organ1- zation, as far as active progress may be concerned, with the executive committee. The chief thing of home interest, apart from what the association may recom- mend and do by the gentle impact of It's influence on the California delegation, concerns what the secretary's office may or may not amount to as the organ through which the association may do many things for the advancement of the mining industry in the State. It had been . suggested before the convention convened by leading mining men that the asSocia- tiOn should broaden itself and energize it. self and take in all the highly varied min ing interests of the State and become an initial force for their advertising and awakening. All this was left among the rest of the executive business of the asso- citation to the executive committee, but there does not appear much promise that the association will this year husti'e itself to boom the mining industry beyond urg- ing the highly important legislation that has been on the books for some time. But some day, like those reservoirs of which it vaguely and favorably sppoke.
 After the adjournment of the conven- ton President Neff appointed the follow ing committees for the ensuing year:
 Executive committee - W. W. Montague (chairman), San Francisco; A. Camtnetu. Anna S. B. Christy, Alameda; John H. Wright, San Franclsco; Harold T; T2Wet, tGiacers Gs Dan T, Sioss. John Bermingham. C, W Cross. George George Stone. Julian Sonntag, w. S.. Reyes. E. A. Curtis H. Lindey, Charles G. Yale. Lewis F. Byington. San Francisco.
 County, Frank A. Leach. Felix Chappeliet; Amador. J. F Parks. E. c. Toorheis Butte HonnoId. David Mcclure; El Dorado. A, H Ten Broeek, II E; Picket; Nevada, B, S Rec Amos Stevens; Santa Clara, Charles C. Derby, R. R. Bulmore; San Francisco. J. F. Hallo- Jones: Shasta, M. F. Dittmar. i NJ Gieaves Siskiyou, H. II. Hunter, Andrew G. Myers 506n H2PDP Fausen a. TGns TnBa TFaiz 0ss6 Durfee. James O'Brien.
 Committee on mineral lands-A H. Ricketts Cchairman). Alameda; George c. Sargent, sar Francisco; H. IT. Power, Placer: A. H. Ten Broeck, Fl Dorado; W. C. Ralston, San Fran
 Committee on mineral exhibit Paris Exposi- tion-B. N. ShOecraft (chairnan) Nevada; A El1rnan, l3utte: A; B. Paul. Shasta; A. S. Cooper, San Francisco; Fred Leitler. Nevada B. T. Price, Kern; Andrew G. Myers. siski- you.
 Committee on dams-A. Caminetti (chairman) Amador; George C. Sargent. San Francisco Shasta; R. M. Green. Butte: J. l.. Meyers Fred searls, J. s. Mcbride, Nevada: Thomas Clarke, J. F. Cowdery, Fl Dorado; Mark B. Kerr, A. c. Hinkson Calayeras; !. O. Batcher. sacramento: James OBrien, Tuba.
 Committee department of mines and min ing-Tirey L. Ford (chairman), Charles C. Yale ". c. Ralston. J. F. Halloran, W. S.
 Committee on iegislation-John F. Davis Icharman), Amador Curtis H. Lindley, Sar Francisco: W. r. Prisk, w. B. Lardner A. Nj Mcdonald. Tuolumne; E. c. Voorheis. Amador F. w. Chapman. Fl Dorado; C. w. Cross, San Francisco; A. s. Raw, Fl Dorado; F. J. Solin- sky. Calaveras.
 Committee on finance = Andrew Carrigar lcharman). Joseph Sloss, Willis G. Dodd, Sar Francisco.
 Committee on jetties and dredging-John M