The San Francisco call., 1903-09-20
RICHARDS ADDRESS.

The press dispatches brought necessar-
ily incomplete accounts of the proceed
ings of the American Mining Congress;
The principal interest naturally centered
in The advocacy of a national department
of mines and mining. The assembly IN
dorsed the proposition, but unless some
good work is done the department Is stlll
afar off. An authorized copy OF the ao-
dress of President John H. Richards mas
been received. 1t is interesting as con-
furnish some ground work LOT I-l:ta5 nutul5
tion of the mining industry OF the united
states. In a certain way these reasons
furnish some ground for work for future
progress. .z4 p,ob-
ards address is as follows:
This congress must be the means OF nnai1s ths
opening the eyes of our lawmakers ~ rin tn
necessity of a department OF mines anu mn. nllli
ts~ coordinate in rank with the department
of agriculture and the recently created uePat
ment of commerce and labor -, ne III,
noyW denartment was bound to come. and we
hail it's coming a healthy manltes.&uVH 49, - u
the tendency referred TO, because 70 nc nc -
tent II strengthens a weak point III ". Jul. ~.
tenn Of administrative government But we
will saw. nevertheless. that mines ana Ilhh6
should have a precedence; that the raw MAJ MAJ
I'LL which are the first condition ana 1nuls-
nensable prerequisite of all nanulactuuIIe al
commerce all prosperity. ana all eiVlIi1alioa e.1
ougbt nv right to have prior consideration at
the hands Of our lawgivers in the establish
ment of these Industrial departments. inc
beginning was
,nept of agriculture. and logically the next
to follow would have been uePSlI % 'nienS i s, vi
mines and mining. ne teaue s1
E1ro1aan rattons already have their depart
roents of mines and mining. by Whicn their
covernnents are placed in close touch with
tbis great and important source OF produc-
ton and thereby enabled TO intelligently carry
ont plans for its development and protectlon-
It Is these powerful ana eInclent gov
ernmentaI organizations. whose energies are
being already directed into industrial cnannels.
that the United States must cope with IN us
future striving for the worlds trade. SO that
/ :. n,,st become more and more the business
of this Government TO equip lts peopie " HsH'
their Industrial battles 80
rho department of agriculture mas broad
ened markets by the systematic work OF its
agents in foreign countries; IT mas dlHused
'o1d nonularized much needed Information con-
cernins crops soils and tillage; 1t has assisted
the cultivator in fighting the pests that de-
strov his crops 1t has invested agriculture
With a new dignity and helped to make 1t
scientific occupation. We say that the mining
nroSnector has Just as good a right to scien-
tiHc information from the Government concern
ing mineral formations, the character OF var
| IONS ores and their proper treatment, for he.
foo is a producer of the raw material that
~ cordition of all resultant production and
this cooperation the part OF the Government
NAV give him just the industrial change that
he needs The farmer get a bulletin from
the agricultural department that viii tell him
how 10 supply lacking ingredients in the soil.
and we assert that the average working miner
his industrial chances the Intelligent producer
and good citizen that we all know, has an
equally lust claim to a bulletin from depart
ment of mines and mining. supplying him
with the technical information in his indus
| trial field that may be vital to his success.