The Saint Paul globe., 1902-09-02

more are arriving. GOV. j. K. IOOle,
after delivering an address Of welcome,
was followed by President E. l.. Shaf-
ner, of the Mining congress. He spoke
in part as follows
'T believe that by the wise delibera
tions and enactments of the honor
able body, by the scientific discussions
to be had here and the practicable OBJ
ject lessons taught by the great dis
play of mineral resources and oppor-
tunities of your wonderful state, an in
fuence will be created which will new
er cease to operate to the interest OF
Montana.
"The International Mining congress
was forced into being through a rec
ognitton of certain necessities and
abuses existing in our mining laws and
practices. These necessities are toll
Grated by our national government, we
believe through it's ignorance Of and
lack of proper means for Investigating
mining interests.
Department of Mining.
1.-THE conviction also prevails that
the great mining population of our
own and other countries, laboring un-
der the disadvantage Of remoteEtss
from the great business and political
centers might through the united ef-
forts of the representatives of the va
rious sections interested, advance the
interests which all miners hold in COM
mon. These announcements early
crystalized into demand for sep
arate department in our national fSov-
ernment which should be devoted to
scientific research and experiment and
to the collection Of information valu-
able to the mining industry and whose
head should be made member Of the
presidents cabinet
"The assertion that such departure
is not needed and would prove use
less expense to the country does not
need to be disapproved to any who
have watched the immense growth Of
the mining industry during the past
five years. The parallel case of the
creation of the department of agricul-
ture has already been cited before this
congress. During the past winter a
bill for the creation of department
of commerce and labor was introduced
into the house. having a bureau of
mines and mining included in its spec
ificationS
Defeat of Department of Commerce.
BeneVlng this great industry de-
served larger recognition and atten-
ton than could be obtained through a
mere bureau, our committee earnestly
protested against such q bureau and
succeeded in having it eliminated from
the pending bill, and, through Repre-
sentative Wood, of California, coun-
ter bill was introduced providing for
the creation of a department of mines
and mining. So we'll was this bill sup
ported that 1t was at length agreed
that committee composed Of repre-
sentatives from the different depart
ments of the government be appointed
to investigate the whole matter and
consider what bureau could be dropped
from the different departments and
added to the proposed department of
commerce and labor without loss to the
industries represented.
I'VE have many problems to come
before this convention. Besides the
questions which must be settled touch
ing the governing policy of this organi-
Zation, the necessary requirements for
the membership and the proper man
ner in which the delegates shall be
appointed. These questions have never
been satisfactorily determined and ow-
ing to differences Of opinion your ex-
ecutive committee did not feel author
lied to decide them, but contented
itself with following an established
precedent"