The Goldfield news. [volume] (Goldfield, Nev.) 1904-1911, 1905-12-22

A Bill to Establish the Department of
Mines and Mining

The following is a copy of a bill pre-
sented to congress by Congressman e.
ID. Van Duser of Nevada:
Be it enacted by the senate and house
of representatives Of the United States
of America in congress assembled, that
there shall be at the seat of govern
ment an executive department to lie
known as the department Of Mines and
mining, and a secretary of mines and
mining at the head thereof, who shall
be appointed by the president, by and
with the advice and consent of the sem
ate, who shall have a seat in the cabi-
net, and who shall receive a salary of
$S, 900 per annum; and section one hun
dred and fifty eight of the Revised
Statutes is hereby amended to include
such department, and the provisions of
title four of the Revised Statutes, in
GLIDING all amendments thereto, are
hereby made applicable to the said de-
partment.
Sec. 2. That there shall be in said
department an assistant secretary If
mines and mining, to be appointed by
the president by and with the advice
and consent of the senate, who shall
receive a salary of $4,000 per annum.
He shall perform such duties as shall
be prescribed by the secretary and re.
quired by law. There shall also be ap-
pointed by said secretary n chief
clerk, who shall receive a salary Of
1900 per annum, and such other cler
ical assistance as may from time to
time be authorized by congress.
Sec. 3. That the said department Of
mines and mining shall have general
jurisdiction over all matters pertaining
to mines and mining industries and the
geological survey and over all matters
committed to any of the bureaus, Of
fees, departments, or branches of the
public service by this act transferred
from other executive departments Of
the government to the said department
of mines and mining as fully as the
same is now possessed by any of the
said bureaus, offices, departments, or
branches of the public service from
whence the same is so transferred, and
that the official records and papers now
on file in and relating to the business
of any such bureau, office, department,
or branch of the public service in this
act transferred to the department Vt
mines and mining, together with the
furniture now in use in such bureau,
office, department, or branch of the
public service, shall be, and is hereby,
transferred to the department of mines
and mining.
Sec. 4. That there shall be in the
department of mines and mining a bu-
reau which shall, under the direction
of the secretary thereof, gather, COM
pile and publish information in respect
to the same, and it shall be the duty
of said bureau to acquire and dissem-
mate practical and useful information
concerning the mines, mineral resources
and mining industries of the United
States; that the office of the director
of the geological survey and the geolog-
ical survey service, and all that relates
to and pertains to the same, is hereby
transferred from the jurisdiction of the
interior department to the jurisdiction
and supervision of the department IT
mines and mining, to remain henceforth
under the jurisdiction of the latter;
and the director of the geological sur
vey is hereby made the director of said
bureau.
Sec. 5. That the secretary of mines
and mining shall annually make a re-
port in writing to congress, which shall
contain an account of all moneys re-
ceived and expended by him in promov-
ing and facilitating the development of
American mines, mineral resources AMI
mining industries, and such recon-
mendation as he shall deem necessary to
the further development of the same.
He shall also make special investiga-
lions and reports on particular subjects
whenever required to do SO by either
the president, the senate, or the house
of representatives.
Sec. 6. That the secretary of mines
and mining shall have charge in the
buildings or premises occupied by Or
appropriated to the department of
mines and mining, of the library, furni-
ture, fixtures, records, and other prop
erty pertaining to it, or hereafter ac-
quired for use in it's business; and he
shall be allowed to expend for period
icals and the purposes of the library,
and for the rental of appropriate quar-
tiers for the accommodation of the de-
partment of mines and mining within
the District of Columbia, and for all