Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1902-04-17
NATIONAL INDUSTRIES
THEIR STUPENDoUS GROWTH
WITHIN THE PAST FEW YEARS.
Representative Woods Calls Attention
to the Fact and That They
Demand Recognition.

There is one great big fact to which the
builders of our government institutions
must wake up. By the builders Of our
government institutions I mean the per-
sonnet of the legislative and executive
branches of the government, and the great
big fact which 1 refer to is the stupendous
growth of the Industries. commerce and
general business activity of our country
during the past few years"
This remark was the preface of Repre-
sentative S. D. Woods Of California, when
he was asked today by a Star reporter as
to the prospects of his bill establishing a
department of mines and mining with a
new cabinet officer at it's head.
THE truth of the matter is that ma
tional industries have grown so last, con-
tinued Mr.. Woods chat it is almost i'm
possible for their needs to be conceived in
any single mind And still greater is the
difficulty when an attempt is made to i'm
press all of the country's varying needs
upon the minds of our conservative leaders
in the national legislature.
Magnitude of Mining Industry.
when you consider, for instance, the
mining industry of this country you are
confronted with an array of facts and fig
ures which is so enormous as to be stupe-
flying rather than comprehensive. The
showing we can make along this line is so
magnificent-just think of a single indus
try which creates wealth at the rate Ct
one billion dollars a year, and this was the
output of our mines last year-that were
We to receive our verdict for or against
an executive department to promote and
care for the needs of this industry simply
on this showing, who is there that DOUBTS
we would get the new department?
But just here is where my waking up
cry comes in. We have grown SO fast that
there are other needs besides mining to be
looked after. Our commerce and our la Dor.
Here are two giants in themselves Both
of them have grown to their almost alarm
ing size without the fostering care Of
single government functionary. and both
are clamoring at the hands of Congress for
recognition 1t is not the part of states
manship to deny that both are justly en-
titled to recognition in the cabinet of the
President and both entitled to what help
may come from a governments fostering
watchfuness and care.
From all this, there is but one logical
conclusion to be drawn. Congress has not
been keeping up with our industries. Con-
gress, 1t seems, cannot conceive of doing
more than one thing. Its action does not
seem to be based on the work to be done,
but on the work it thinks it can do, and
this regardless Of the country's needs.
Demanding Recognition.
Realizing all this. however, I am far
from discouraged as to a department of
mines and mining. This industry is de-
handing recognition. This demand is en-
forced by the great momentum of the in
dustry. Just think of it's growth. There
was a time in our early history when our
only gold mines were those of North Caro-
lima and Georgia, and the mint marks OF
the eagles and half-eagles of that day To-
Gated their coinage at Charlotte and Dahlo-
mega. AS for silver, there was none what
ever. Our first coal was the product of
Rhode Island. Pennsylvania soon followed,
however. with both coal and iron. Copper
from the Lake Superior regions and lead
from the banks of the Mississippi were the
next mining additions.
"Snce 1913, when the world went wild
over the California gold fields, our mining
output has steadily increased until in 1906
we passed the billOn-dollar mark, and In
every product of the mine we lead the world
These metals and minerals are scattered
throughout the country. 1t is only Louisi-
ana, Oklahoma and the District of Column
bia which are reported as having mines
or quarries. While no other country has
such wealth in mines mining, it still re-
mains fact that no other country gives
as little protection and encoura cement to
that industry ours AT the present time
the only direction the mining interests re-
ceive on the part of the government is by a
few bureaus scattered through the various
departments. Confusion is the result OF
this division of authority, and the develop
ment of our mineral lands and the opera
ton OF our mines suffer proportionately.
Will any one say that a single industry
which has an output of over a billion dol
lars year, and is scattered through every
state and territory. practically, is not OF
sufficient magnitude to receive the best and
most efficient fostering care the govern
ment has to give? OF course not and
will predict that the department of mines
and mining Will yet be established"