The San Francisco call., 1899-10-16

The biggest and most important State
convention in the history of the CAN
fornia Miners Association will open in
San Francisco on the 23d inst, week
from to-day, and for several days will be
the chief thing of interest in the coast
mining field. Secretary Z. II. Benjamin
voluminous correspondence concerning II
indicates that there will be several nun
dred delegates present.
The sixteen local associations, includ-
ing that of Southern California,
have nearly all held conventions
and elected their quota of dele
gates during the past two weeks
and at these conventions special interest
in the industry and in the convention has
been shown. The delegates are lead1ng
and active mining men, and the conven-
ton will be representative of the best in
tellect and character in the California
mining field. The convention will declare
the wants and policies Of the States
great mining population, united for the
general good of the industry, and its dec
larations and demands will have a pres
tige before Legislatures and public opinion
that few voluntary associations can com
mand.
This convention will have a wider scope
than any of its predecessors, and the sue
cess of the executive committee in secur-
States in making it representative Of the
entire Western mining field will give it
an Importance equal to that of the Trans
Mississippi congresses. The Governors Of
Colorado, New Mexico, Idaho and Wash
ington had last week reported the ap-
pointment of 10 delegates each, and all
the other Western Governors will un-
doubtedly respond in time. Each execu-
tive was asked to name representative
men who would really attend the conven-
ton, and it is hoped that there will be
many delegates from sister States who
will later be active at home in promoting
the policies agreed upon.
1t has been sought &c. make the conven-
tion an interstate affair, because the ques-
tionS which will be made of chief i'm
portance affect the industry in one West
ern State as much as in another. These
are the revision of the Federal mining
law and the conservation of water. The
Federal mining law of 1872 and the court
decisions and departmental rulings that
have been hung TO it have kept sporadic
demands for revision going for years
among mining men. The California Min
erS Association resolved in favor of the
revision and codification of the Federal
mining and land laws early in its history,
and has appointed committees thereon,
but never until now taken up the matter
as one of chief Importance. A wide field
for warm debate will be opened and the
friends and enemies of the apex law may
have another inning, but whatever may
or may not be agreed upon, the discus
sion here and the efforts that will follow
may result in some further legislation by
Congress.
The discussion of the conservation of
water will come at an oppOrtune time
when conventions and societies are at last
starting definite aggressive effort to
save to the arid West it's greatest treas
ure-the water that it so royalty wastes.
The convention should do much to further
awaken the mining interests to what the
problem means to the industry and to add
another effective force to the efforts to
secure the storage of flood waters and
their distribution through mountains and
plains The big gold mills that are
now again silent along the mother
and elsewhere and the monitors that are
waiting for the rains are vivid evidences
of the California miners interest in the
conservation of water. The taking up of
the question in this active way is another
evidence of the value of this big organi-
cation and an encouragement to those
who are working on the problem in other
fields.
Other important matters will come be-
fore the convention. The California
Miners Association maintains the i'm
portant purpose of securing further Con-
gressional appropriations for restraining
dams and the Improvement of the navig-
able rivers of the State, but as the Fed
eral engineers composing the California
Debris Commission have not yet been
dDlS 10 get up d report Oil now lIle S0uU,-
600 already appropriated should be spent,
the convention will not be apt to do much
about dams this year. The mineral lands
issue is not dead and will get attention.
State mining legislation will be one i'm
portant topic. Steps will probably be
taken through resolutions and committees
to prepare a satisfactory State mining
law to take the place of the one supposed
to have been repealed by the last Legis-
lature. The convention will undoubtedly
result in the organization of new county
associations and in otherwise increasing
the membership and power of the fede-
rated organization. which now counts
about 5000 members. The Paris mining
exhibit will be among other local topics
considered.
The convention will assemble amid new
life and boom in the mining field and will
reflect that revival in it's vim and good
will. The election of officers promises to