The Salt Lake tribune. [volume] (Salt Lake City, Utah) 1890-current, 1908-10-16
SOME ETHICS Of
MINE REPORTING
John Hays Hammond Gives Ad-
vice to the Young Mining
Expert.
AGE OF EXPANSION
IN NINE ENGINEERING
Business of Exporting Mines
Has BrOadened Out in
Recent Years.

Thg is an era O. expansion and,
contormably with the change in commcE-
c.al conditions the function OF tho mining
engineer, rs well as that or his cou(reres
.u many other professions. has also eX-
panded. From his capacity of an engi-
neer. limited TO the determination OF
technical questions. the engineer Of to-
day has como TO assume an economic inn
portance in those branches of industry
dependent upon engineering skill for their
development.
He is indeed an engineer OF limited
usefulness who does not so further pro-
fessionally than TO submit purely tech
meal report on subjects presented FOR his
considera ton. While he has the same
responsibility as formerly in the solution
OF the technical problems involved, he Is
further expected TO supplement his report
with advice on the financial and CONNER
ciaI aspects of these problems. FOR lne
great majority OF problems presented to
tho engineer ultimately Involve the deter
ynDaton Of the pecuniary relations OF
the proposition under consideration
The great corporation lawyer no longer
earns his fee by merely sumbitting his
Opinion as TO the legal issues involved In
lawsuits affecting the corporations: nc
now assumes charge OF the entire legal
work, including both the organization OF
the corporation and the maintenance 'ot
its legal status thereafter. In Ike man
usr the engineer. whose report WAS, as
have said. formerly confined to the de-
termination of the geological ana other
cognate features OF q mining enterprise,
Is now expected, not only TO embody In
formation on these subjects in his report.
but also to give his opinion whether the
property offered Tor sale in pursuance OF
such an enterprise Is worth lhe price
asked for IL,
Moreover. if he recommends the pur-
chase OF property he incurs certain
moral responsibility for It's efficient man
3eemeni, iuasmuch as his professional
reputation depends upon the realization
of his predictions as TO the outcome or
tho investment. For this reason the en-
giueer passes from the role OF an expert
TO that OF consulting engineer, bound
10 supervise both the technical and the
business management OF the property
purchased by his clients.
With this additional responsibility and
the consequent increase ot professional
opportunity comes an extension of the
Held covered by the ethics of the mining
engineer. Our professional duty NAV bc
regarded from three points OF View. First
the relation of our work TO our employ
cTs; second. its relation to the investing
public; and, third, its relation to our in
a!yldual interests.
The question has been often discussed
among engineers whether II Is profession
ally proper 10 make a report for the seller
OF Il mlaiug property. Such practice has
been sometimes condemned: but little
zion IS not warranted. For 1T is neither
wrong nor unreasonable that the owner
OF mineral property should desire TO
present such statement Of It's nature
and probable value viii secure the at
i.ntion OF possible purchasers; or that
be should secure for such II purpose the
assistance of one who knows hoY To
make such Il statement lntelligently and
IN scientific language. that is, the IAN
guaec which will convey n definite mean
ing To those who know IT; or that lie
should pay such an assistant for mis- skill
and labor. II goes without saying that no
expert IL such case, In any other
case. may suppress or mlsstatc facts, or
disguise or withhold his honest opinion
in u statement TO which he lends his
name, Yet. this being understood, it
StiU remains true that vendor re-
port Is not advice 10 anybody 10 buy,
AT a stated price, but only II description
of the property CASUALLY without any
mention OF the price a which II would be
10 the purchaser a profitable bargain).
There is nothing dishonorable or unpro-
feSsionai in honestly making. for the
ton But there is often danger that II
may be afterwards used If II were ad-
vice offered 20 purchaser. In any such
report therefore, the fact that il was
made for the owner or vendor or his rep
resentatives. should be clearly stated be-
yond all misunderstanding Tor the pro-
lection Of both the author and the reader
This precaution being observed. I see no
valid objection 10 the writing OF such a
report by mining engineer.
Nevertheless, IL Is an undesirable kind
OF work. particularly Tor young mining
engineers. whose reputation for integrity
ond judgment, not yet established by
Ions practice, may oe. Justly or, unjustiy
sion of their opinions and NAV he de-
stroyed, In public esteem, by the failure
OF any mining scheme with which their
names may have been thus associated
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