The Springfield herald., 1904-05-20
BROOKS RECORD
WHAT THE COLORADO CON.
SSMAN-AT-LARGE HAS
ACCOMPLISHED.
Many Vauabl. Measures Cue to His
Able and Energetic Ad-

now there VIII be much weighing IN
the balances of different members by
their constituents. So far as results
are concerned. the Colorado represent
ntives have nothing to fear from any
examination of their record. Mr.. HogS
has already received his reward in
the shape OF denomination. Messrs.
Brooks and BoEynge await later ac-
tion. Since the Congressman at-large
represents the whole state. a short re-
view of the work done especially by
Mr.. Brooks may be of interest.
Mention has already been made of
the appropriation for feeding and
breeding cattle at the experiment sta
tion at Fort Collins. Mention has not
heretofore been made, however. OF the
fact that even after the conferees of
Senate and Hcdse had agreed to the
Item, some of the big stock growers of
the East made a final effort to beat
the appropriation, on the ground that
such an experiment by the government
would interfere with their business by
coming into competition with them in
the establishment of standard breeds.
OF course the answer to that was easy,
and Mr.. Brooks lost no time in making
it-to-wit: that he was not looking
after the interests of the big stock
growers of the East. who seem per-
fectly well able to take care of them
selves, but after the interests Of his
constituents, especially the small
breeders.
That the Leadville public building
Is to be erected in the near future Is
also due to the Congressman-at-lars
1t became evident that no appropria-
tion for public buildings would be
made at this session. The appropria-
tion already made for that building
had proved too small. none OF the bids
coming within the limit set. The Su-
pervising Architect was appealed to,
and finally, after much persuasion.
consented to readvertise. Before re-
advertising, however, he went over the
specifications with Mr.. Brooks. and by
cutting out some which were expen-
sive but not essential. he succeeded.
on the next attempt. in securing four
bids which are within the limit, and SO
the building will go up.
When the Sundry Civil appropria-
tion bill was reported to the House, no
provision was made for the Denver
Mint. An item of 100000 for this pur-
pose was inserted, on motion of Mr.
Brooks. Without this action, work
would have stopped on this building
j L.
All the Colorado men stood shoulder
to shoulder in fighting the repeal of
the desert land act and the stone and
timber land laws. Mr.. Hogg and Mr..
Brooks both appeared before the COM
mittee in opposition; and finally, so
strong was the showing made by the
representatives from the Rocky Noun
tain region. that the bins were killed
in the committee.
Probably the most important act for
the interests of Colorado which was
passed during the session was that
which provides that the monuments
on the ground, rather than the de-
scription in the Land Office, shall pre-
vail in determining the title to mining
claims. This is the rational and com
nonsense view, of course; but some
years ago a ruling of the department
made the opposite view prevail. NO
man could be sure just where his claim
was, and whether he had got what he
had paid for. and almost endless liti-
cation was the result. Early in the
session Mr.. Brooks Introduced bill
to remedy this. Mr.. Teller introduced
one in the Senate to the same effect;
but finally, the bill of Mr.. Brooks.
being more specific. was substituted
for the other in the Senate, and passed
both houses.
The importance of this act to Colo
RADIO can scarcely be overestimated. In
his speech upon the passage of the bill.
Mr. Brooks said:
in the last few years it has been
the practice of the Interior Department
to regard the official data collected
from various sources and then tran
scribed upon plats, showing the posi-
tions of the boundaries of the public
surveys according to the office memo
randa with regard to and comprised
in what are called extended sheets.
as the final authority for the location
of a mining claim. When an applica-
tion Is made for patent on supposedly
vacant ground and the preliminary
surveys are made, the question as TO
whether or not the ground is open to
appropriation and patent is determined
by what is shown upon the plats, re-
gardless of what may be the fact on
the ground. In this way it is claimed
that in actual cases mining locations
which are many feet, sometimes appre-
ciable fractions of a mile, apart are
made to show a paper conflict; and
on the other hand. ground which is To-
Gated. appropriated and patented, and
in actual physical operation. shows as
unappropriated ground, subject to To-
cation and patent.
THE statement of these conditions
is enough to show how great is
the hazard and what disastrous ef-
feet this ruling has had and is bound
to have upon the mining industry of
tho country.
Every consideration of Justice, pru-
dence and wise legislation, every re-
gard for simply self-interest, demands
the immediate enactment of this meas
ure."
And it was Immediately enacted.
Their constituents know. better than
can be known in Washington, how
busy the Colorado men have been in
answering the calls of their home peo-
pie for garden seeds. documents, and
the like. So far as public measures are
concerned, certainly the delegation has
been busy, and has secured some valu-
able legislation, much of which will be
permanent.