Amador ledger., 1900-11-23
Hon. E. G. VOORHEES, Elected
President.
THE CAAIHETTI ACT DISCUSSED At LENGTH
An Interesting Report From Senator
John F. Davis.-The Oil In
dustry Discussed.

Interesting and valuable reports and
a representative attendance from all
sections of the State marked the opening
sessions of the California Miners ninth
annual convention Monday at Golden
Gate Hall. The gathering was called
to order by President W. G. Ralston.
He looked down upon the delegations
from the several mining counties, each
delegation being ranged under coun-
ty banner and there were also two new
bodies to be represented on the floor OF
the convention-the California Petro-
leum Miners Association and the
Southwest Miners Association, who
also had their banners and occupied
sections in the hall. The auditorium
was decorated with many flags and
draperies. On the stage were potted
palm trees, flanking the speakers desk.
At his right was the banner of the Cal.
ifornia Miners Association. On the
stage, a little later, in addition to the
president and Secretary E. H. Ben
ljamin, were chairmen of county associ-
ations and two recently elected mem
bers of Congress-Frank L. Coombs ol
the First District and S. D. Woods of
the Second.
The proceedings of the forenoon were
brief. Mayor Phelan delivered an ad.
dress of welcome. A committee on
credentials was appointed representing
the mining counties.
This committee reported that the
convention representation was made uI
by delegates as follows:
San Francisco, 81; Butte, "a; Ala.
media, 20; Santa Clara, I: Nevada, 60;
Placer, 30; Los Angeles, 6; San Diego,
2; San Bernardino, 1; Kern, 10; Inyo,
| 1; Plumas, IL; Sierra, %; Ell Dorado,
Is; Amador, 81; Tuolumne, 10; Yuba,
10; Fresno, 5; Marin, 5; Solano, 5;
Shasta, 35; Mariposa, 2; San Luis
Obispo, 5; Santa Barbara, 5; Napa, 1;
Sonoma, 4; Trinity, 1; Siskiyou, 1;
MADEIRA, 1; Calaveras, "a.
| Delegates were also present as fol-
lows: Sacramento Chamber of Com
merce 5, University of California 1,
California Petroleum Miners Associa-
ton IA, Southwest Miners Associa-
tion 5, San Francisco Chamber of Com
merce 5, Stanford University 1, Fresno
Chamber of Commerce 5, Los Angeles
Chamber of Commerce 5, honorary
delegates Senators and Congressman 9.
The committee also recommended that
eleven delegates, represented by proxy,
should be accredited and this prevailed
The real business of the session came
up in the afternoon, when President
Ralston, Secretary Benjamin, Treas
urer S. J. Hendy and the chairmen OF
the several standing committees made
their annual reports.
President Ralston said that he was
not conscientiously able to report that
anything very notable had been accom-
plished during the year last past, but
this was due only to lack of opportuni-
ty. He paid tribute to the services OF
ex-President Neff and he said that STEW
men of California could have carried us
through the trying times of our in
fancy, with all its trials and with all
the dangers and difficulties, and to Mr..
Neff above all others we owe debt OF
gratitude. Continued applause fol-
lowed this acknowledgment, in which
all the miners took part.
Mr.. Ralston went on to welcome the
delegates from the Southwest Miners
Association and from the California
Petroleum Miners Association. He
said that all were working toward one
common end. If the scrippers were
threatened the interests of the oil men
and anti-debris men were also menac-
ing one branch of the gold mining in
dustry. All should stand together and
much could be accomplished. The
stronger the body the better chance OF
securing aid from Congress. During
the year the Mineral Lands bill as
amended by the Commissioner of tie
General Land Office was recommended,
but was kept from passage by the de-
lay in the General Land Office Mr..
Ralston said he expected that the bill
would pass at the short session of Con-
gress and so settle finally the question
of the aggregation of mineral lands on
railroad grants.
The Caminetti act was discussed at
great length. w. w. Foote was prais-
ed for his aid in getting the Caminetti
law through. Contrary to expectation
the Association was confronted with a
serious question as to its constitution
ality. 1t was not just the law that all
the miners wanted, but it was all that
they could get and all that they had,
the speaker said. Then the attitude
of the Anti-debris Association was de-
scribed, the speaker saying that 'the
time had arrived to call spade spade
and to meet the issue fairly" At the
first convention of the miners the rep
resentatives of the Anti-debris Associ-
alton said that they were anxious to
see the hydraulic miners resume work.
They Joined with the miners in a
memorial to Congress on the basis of
an agreement under which hydraulick-
ing was to go on under Government
|