Las Vegas daily optic. [volume] (Las Vegas, N.M.) 1880-1908, 1907-01-21
RECOGNITION
or MINING INDUSTRY
Ex-senator seasns ~ utsn Gives
paamfea Rsaseas fer shs Creation
o. Feeefss Depsnssnens 81
Maning.

IA9 G8AaBM2AS @AA@GA EE&&A n @N&&N&
hy Ex-senator Thomas ksarns q Utah
h weil worth reading IN e~0aneetioa
with the reaeweA effort nov being
maa~ by the American Mining con.
9gress 10 bring about the ere&ai0a Of :
department of minlng at the coming
session u the congress
Senator kearns points oat a fact
which In not fully recognized. viz.
thai the commercial prosperity u the
country Is entirely dependent upon
It's mineral production and that with.
out q continued increase u that pro-
dnction. the business Of the country
must he brought 10 a standstilL
The letter In part II ~ follows:
4 wonder If those who attempt to
look into the future and who make
mental pictures contrasting the great
ness Cf this country 10 or 20 years
IN come with It's greatness now have
a proper conception Of the important
work the mountain states shall exert
In the cnuntr>'s Development:
Il wonder IL our statesmen. our
publicists. and those who make aud
administer the law. realize the vast
Influence which mineral mining In the
United States has on the country's
commerce wonder II congress and
the president have shown that deep
concern for this great Industry It's com
mercial Importance and influence de-
serves, wonder II the people under
stand how much II contributes 10 their
material welfare?
III one reflects on these three
things, the answer must be In the
negative. Aud the answer itself should
stimulate action not only In the west.
where greater attention TO the latent
forces should produce swIfter results
than elsewhere. but in the entire bust.
ness world.
1T Is not sufficient 10 say that the
mining industry Of the United States
In the greatest, the most important.
has the largest capital invested or
Us the most progressive. for while these
things are true, II may also be said
the industry is embryonic. The coun.
Itry's vast mineral resources are yet
untouched. Mountains that yield no
profits or small profits today. under
the touch OF modern appliances and
equipment tomorrow will pour forth
great streams of wealth. And this
wealth is national wealth. This de.
velopment Is national development
The product OF this field OF industry
is the strongest pillar In the country's
commercial structure.
Not the most thoughtful nor the
most enthusiastic mamie who lives
among the mines and witnesses the
tremendous work already being aeon.
Ipfished in the west-can unde. stand
the Importance OF all this on the coun-
try at large. He sees cities bui'icd
with this wealth. He realizes thai
hundreds of thousands are daily en-
ployed in the expanding of the indus.
try. He knows that local Influence Ii
exerted, but its effect on the com
merce OF the country generally he does
not conceive because 1t Is inconceiv-
able.
There was undisputed can:e for
recognition by the government OF agri
cultural and other national forces in
the establishing OF national bureaus
and in the appointment of cabinet
officials to represent them. Is there
less reason for giving federal encour.
agement to mines and mineral devotion.
ment?"