The San Francisco call., 1899-10-23
STATE MINERS CONVENTION.
STORY OF IT'S MAIN issues

| bedrock to lie eighty feet or more deep
and a dam would cost the whole sum
For some time Mr.. ViScher has Deen mar mar
ing inyestigationdS ,s TOT e+ woTking oTk there
| The whole river and region mas Qg pgn "a, "a
fully surveyed, and several posslple PIdns PI-.s
have been considered. LleutenaIl{t ITt, Rgahy S q
states a final report Will pfoDdOlS D
ready next month. ~
erty rights involved" says Mr.; Deakzn'
"and if it were announced what our oe,
cision was in advance some pe0pie Woul9
ask exhorbitant prices for thelr Idlu: l
Hence it would not be JudlclouS 10 sd
now what plan we are most lhcllIeu "
I favor" III,
That is about all the convention viii
| learn of the status Of dam constructor,
1t may possibly begin next year, ana theh
more money can be asked Tor.
The mineral lands question is tied up
with the bill long pending In. Congress
providing for the segregation OF mineral
and agricultural lands in railroad grants
in California and the salvation of several
million acres to the mining industry. The
association Will have this bill to DacR at
the coming session of Congress.
The mining exhibit for the Paris Elk
position may be one topic. The eXecu-
tive committee by special efforts got
the last Legislature to increase the ap-
preparation from $4,000 to $13OO0O, with
the tacit understanding that the increase
was for the especial account of the min
ers and that $25 600 would be devoted TO
the mining exhibit. The Paris commits
sion is getting up a fine mining display
and has secured exceptional space in the
mining department for the California eX-
hlblt. Under the direction of A. Ekman, a
collection is being made, and the State
VIII fare better than any other one IN
this Held, but many miners suspect that
the commission will devote but a part
OF that 5000 to mining, and besides the
exhibit much could be done in an adver-
tising way The commission has not re-
ported its intentions and some are IN
clined to kick
Then there is Governor Gage and the
Mining Bureau. When the Legislature
appropriated 900 a year for the bureau
it stipulated for field work in the mining
regions to be done by experts. to be ap-
pointed by the Governor instead of by the
State Mineralogist. That was long time
ago, and this is about the only patronage
months of the fiscal year have gone and
the Mining Bureau has not done a lick
of field work or rather the Governor has
not. The Mining Bureau is confining its
men are not. J. H Means has gone to
China. f. c. Mathyas is helping A. Elk
man on the Paris exhibit w. L. Watts
the oil expert, ended his connection with
the bureau June 80. Some questions may
be asked in the convention.
There will be number of other matters
brought up, and a number of other
features to a lively and interesting three
days meeting in which sociability, an
,election and many speeches will cut
figures Some things of interest will
doubtless be heard from delegates from
other States, of which there will be
number.
Reports will show a year of activity
and prosperity, during which the associa-
ton has done much and grown much.
The report of Secretary e. II. Benjamin
will outline the years work. The eXecu-
tive committee as whole at its six meet
ings and through it's standing committees
did a large number of things. The State
Legislature secured, the State convention
on the conservation of water Of few
months ago, the meeting of the American
Institute of Mining Engineers in San
Francisco. the publication of California
Mines and Minerals and the organization
of the Southern California branch were
competent items of the transactions since
the last annual convention. The associa-
ton was never so representative of the
whole industry as now, and it promises
to grow much in membership and tnfiu-
ence during the next year.
]. B. DENNY.