The San Francisco call., 1899-12-04
MINING BUREAU MIRED.
GAGE AS A GEOL LOGIST.
PARALYZED BY POLITICS.
A LAW BY BlACKSMlTHS

The miners of the State will be delight
cd TO learn that the State Mining Bu-
reau Is IN an inchoate and dirty political
mess as the result OF a bold but fool
patronage-grabbing play by few poll
uclans with Governor Gage apparently
playing the role OF chief bandit. This
important State institution. from which
me mining interests rightly expect much,
- paraly<ed and has been for months as
as the result OF an attack by the gpoils-
men, The bureau has suffered more or
haSs tess from the curse of practical politics
Defore, but now IL seems completely mired
In this familiar slough
SdllIornla now has two State Mining
bureaus at loggerheads with each other.
S'I.eaIe SSn.eeMathe old one-is mired at the ferry
building with just enough money TO keep
open ana In quiet operation the fine Inu-
scum, library, assay laboratory and bu-
reau OF Information with which It is
equipped oy law and in fact but with no
money to go out into the hills and des-
erts with the miners who need its aid.
me otner is new one, run by Governor
doors.
Then there comes into view in the rear
me interesting development that this new
Sus. SuUernatorlaI bureau OF science and In
amnstTy GU ddy Is probably Illegal and that its
szoOOO Will be taken away from II by the
courts whenever anybody makes a legal
assault on 1t, as somebody is likely TO 10
And while Viewing these troubled insti-
lutlonal twins one may hear the pollr-
cal pulls fairly creaking as the mess
grows more involved.
This situation has been developed ny
the recent delayed action OF Governor
Gage In appointing Stephen Bowers and
w. l.. Watts OF Los Angeles as field ex-
perts in accordance with the provisions
OF the last appropriation bill supplying
FUNDS for the State Mining Bureau.
It's Just that bill that has made the
trouble In the last Legislature the rep
resentation of the mining industry and its
influence. through the California Min crs'
association and otherwise, was strong
ana there was no objection TO continuing
the 10000 year for the support OF the
bureau; But some people thought that
get away from the Governor and his po-
litical friends into the hands " the Dem
ocratic State Mineralogist and the board
9L Ps trustees, where IT properly belonged.
valentine OF Los Angeles, chairman OF
the House Committee on Appropriations.
with the scheme to get away with the
bill as introduced by Valentine and passed
provided $4,000 for the two fiscal years
for the support OF the State Mining Blu
to the effect that 500 900 OF this sum should
be spent in scientific and practical exam
nations OF the mining districts or the
regions. this work to be done by compe
tent experts, Ito be appointed and their
salary fixed by the Governor"
Competent scientific and practical field
work Is what the mining interests want.
The thing looked all right from a mile
away to people not interested In who got
the Jobs and who didn't go near enough
10 smell II or see the bugs in II. The
Governor generously favored the miners
with his approval OF the measure and
then the year began to age Gnd when
Tfilx fhA fn1 he
fellows with geological hammers and
notebooks. Late In November, after tive
months Of the fiscal year had gone ard
mountain and foothill, the Governor gave
10 the miners Messrs. Bowers and Watts
OF Los Angeles.
This is the start Of the expenditure OF
that $50 900. There has been no announce
ment Of how many field experts are to be
appointed, or what they will be paid or
what they are to do. The section OF the
appropriation bill at issue regulates nei-
ther the number or salaries of the "ex-
perts." The Governor may apparently
appoint one man at $4,000 a year or
hundred TO work for a few weeks
When these appointments came along
the duality OF the Mining Bureau showed
up State Mineralogist Cooper took the
stand that the Governors employees and
their work was none of his business. He
reasoned that as the law gave their ap-
DOlntment ana compensation INTO the Gov
ernor's hands they were responsible 10 the
Governor alone. AS executive officer Of
the Mining Bureau he would not be re-
sponsible for the work OF men over whom
he had no control .1r. Cooper simply de-
clines TO know or care anything about Mr.
Bowers or Mr.. Watts or anybody else that
Governor Gage makes field expert. a
nurse in the Stockton Insane Asylum may
as we'll send a salary or expense bin to
him or report for instructions. who in
the dickens Is Bowers? He doesn't belong
TO the Mining Bureau" is the State Min
eralogist's consistent attitude.
So Messrs. Bowers and Watts must re-
port for orders 10 Gage, who. as mem
ber of the Board of Examiners. must
audit their bills. So the State Mineralo-
gist can't go out and study rocks. So Gov
ernor Gage is at the head OF an indepen-
dent institution that he can do as he likes
with. He is the creator. director and
board OF trustees OF the Geological and
Industrial Survey OF California. He says
TO Bowers, "Come!" and he cometh. and
Gage has the outside and Cooper the in
side. So the situation would be funny II
IL were not so sad.
But people interested, including legal
authorities. after examining the situation
carefully declare without hesitation that
the portion of the appropriation bill set
ting aside this gubernatorial perquisite is
unconstitutional and void. and that II
would be so declared by any court before
whom a suitor asked that the State Board
of Examiners be restrained from passing
the bills OF the Governors mining bureau
The provision is called another piece Of
legislative blacksmithing.
II IS pointed out that the State Mining
Bureau exists and is regulated by the act
Of March g. 1893. by which IL was reor-
ganized. This organic act. which was
drawn by Charles G.. Yale, Ross E
Browne and John Hays Hammond. pro-
vides for a board OF five trustees, which
shall have control OF all properties and
funds of said bureau" Again II says that
the trustees "shall manage and control all
the finances of said mining bureau" and
that the fund "out OF which all the ex-
penses OF said bureau shall be paid shall
consist OF such moneys as shall
from time to time be appropriated by the
Legislature for the use OF said bureau"
The State Mineralogist shall perform
the duties OF his office under the control.
direction and supervision OF the Board OF
| Trustees" ''The said State Mineralogist