The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1908-11-16
MINING CONGRESS.

The official call for the eleventh an
nual session Q. the American Mining
congress has been issued. The meet
Ing is to be held at Pittsburg during
the first week in December The sub
Jet OF greatest Importance TO come
come before the congress viii be the
discussion of the bill creating a fed
ersl bureau Of mines. which has passed
the house of representatives and is
now upon the calendar Of the senate
for third reading. II is believed that
the bill will become a law during the
early days of the coming session.
In addition there are many other
matters TO be taken up. A demonstra-
ton viii be made that mining is L.
Ultimate business and not gamble
and wildcat promoters will be placed
under the ban. Federal aid may be
invoked to this end. The call issued
by the secretary has the following in
this connection; More uniform laws
governing mining Operati tons in the
several states would greatly simplify
the conditions under which mining
operations are conducted. In the pro-
lection Of lives Of miners; in the pre-
vention OF mining frauds: in the pre-
vention of unnecessary waste in the.
utilization of fuel and other mineral
resources; in the development OF wa
ter power as substitute for fuel. in
more uniform laws for the creation
and control of corporations and in
many other ways unihcation of stat~
Laws would be of vast benefit to the
mining business"
Then there is the subject of smelt-
men Of Utah at the present time. Some
competitive plants have already been
established and further efforts will be
made along the same lines The pro-
gram has not been announced. but
among the subjects discussed will be
the producti1s:e satment. transporta-
tion. marketing Snd use Of minerals.
and the relation of the mining indus
try to the state and federal govern
ments In connection with legislation To
stimulate and make possible a larger
development Of the mineral wealth or
the United States.
An appropriation was made AT re-
cent session OF congress for the pur-
pose Of making Investigations as to
the cause of mining disasters and
testing plant has been established at
Pitrsburg This has resulted in n
critical examination ot-the more fns-.
portant coal mines OF the United
states by commission which inciud-
ed three experts from Germany. Bel
GUM and Great Britain in which
countries the loss Of life as the result
OF such Investigations has been greatly
reduced. Statistics show that the
average loss Of life in France. Bel
GUM and Great Britain during the
hve-year period ending with 1895 was.
Los per 1000 men employed. while dur
ing the same period in the United
States the annual loss was $50 per /. 600
r'rr e9'ploved. Tn" difference is
Startling and shows The need of inteilr-
gent work along these lines. These
disasters. OF course. occur mainly i'm
the coal camps, under conditions which
DO not prevail in the other bran, mes OF
the mining industry. but The latter
VIII probably not be neglected in the
discussion Of life-saving measures.
There are many other things to
come up at the meeting OF the Min
ing congress at Pittsburg. and We dar-
say the work accomplished win prove
the importance of its organization.