Gilpin observer., 1900-06-21
THE MINING CONGRESS
Opens at Milwaukee-Preside Montgom'
cry Offers Suggestions.

Opens at Observation-Disclosures MOntgOm-
cry Offers Suggestions.
Milwaukee, Wis, June 19-The third
convention of the Interna tional Mining
congress opened here to-day. with sew
eral hundred delegates in attendance.
Colorado heads the list in exhibits,
with collection of 1000 specimens.
Among the most notable arrivals are
b. f. Montgomery of Cripple Creek,
Colorado; Ex-Governor Prince of Santa
Fe, New Mexico. and Ex-Governor
Swineford of Alaska. Ex-Governor
Prince responded to one of the ad
dresses of welcome.
Colonel Il. f. Montgomery of Colo
RADIO, the president in his annual ad
dress, gave brief review of the his
tory of the congress up to the present
session, discussing in detail it's objects
and purposes. and recommending a
permanent organization to meet annu-
ally.
He reviewed at length the import
ance of the mining interests of the
country and the advantages to be gain
ed by bringing the East and West in
their manifold mining interests to-
gether, as well as cultivating more
intimate acquaintance between the in
vestOr and the owners of the property
to be invested in. and arguing strong
ly that mining was legitimate bust
ness, entailing no more risk than any
other branch of business If treated by
investors and those developing mines
upon the same principles upon which
banking, merchandising, manufactur-
Ing. agriculture, etc, We're conducted.
The current treatment of investors in
mines, he said, has created sentiment
In the public mind that mining was
more of a gamble than legitimate
business. This, he claimed, was detri-
mental to the highest and best inter-
ests of the industry of mining in gen.
eral.
He recommended action looking to
the thorough revision of the federal
mining laws, to the end that mining
on the government domain should be
controlled exclusively by the laws of
Congress and not left to the regulation
Of enactments Of statutes by the sew
eral states. thus producing uniform
ity of method of location, size of min
ing claim, and annual assessment work
by which claim should he perpetu-
ated until patent should issue. Such
legislation, he said, should be based
upon the idea of inducing development
of mineral wealth upon the public do
main.
He argued also in favor of the aboli-
ton by act of Congress of what Is gem
| orally known as apex rights, or the
! right to follow Il vein or load on it's
adit into the land of an adjoining
owner, and, as a substitute for the
apex rights now existing. an enlarge
ment of the location. requiring that
each owner of Il claim he circumscrib-
ed by the surface lines of his claim.
drawn vertically downward.
He urged action to induce Congress
to pass the bill to create a department
of mines and mining. like that of the
department of agriculture. with sec
retary who should be Il member of the
Presidents Cabinet. The Introduction
OF the bill now pending was the result
of the action of the International Min
ing Congress at Salt Lake in 1893. He
contended that the department should
not be made mere bureau in any
other department. as II was now I'm the
Depa rtment OF the Interior, because
then, as now, II would be created as a
matter of inferior and not of para
mount Importance to the country.
In regard to the proposed organiZa-
tion of the Congress. two plans are
prominently proposed. President Mont
gomery proposes to make the organ
iZation corporation. II body polite.
with power to sue and to be sued. with
officers. though probably with no CON
stitution. The members, he thinks.
should consist of men and women in
terested In mining, however remotely.
Mrs. Atwood. the only woman miner
present at the convention. advocates
that the organization have an eastern
headquarters and II western represen-
| tation.
The headquarters. she thinks, should
he means of reference. where reli-
aDle Information could be obtained
about mining corporations floating
stock. and 1t could be known whether
they were selling shares In real mines
or in ''salted mines"
Colorado Springs is bidding for the
next convention.