The Goldfield news. [volume] (Goldfield, Nev.) 1904-1911, 1909-01-23
WANTED--A BUREAU OF MINES

ovERNoR D1cKERsoN's message t. h Nevada legislature is a sound,
vigorous and progressive utserance. and is receiving the almost universal
~ cOmmendation of tho state press The message recites tn imperfectons
If many existing laws and suggests their amendment or total adjustment There
is very little in the way of constructive legislation suggested
a aps tams us Mas as a ,mo naralvzea tn onsr,aous Of the state railroad commits
sion. meantime. The governor advocates the abolition of the state board Of as
SCISSORS which has almost uniformly shown itself amenable to the wnes OF tho
railroad lobby. TIE etato board OILY last month assessed the railroads on 1919
per cent IF heir fun valuation while assessing other property at rom 20 to rs
per cent. While advocating the repeal of the law creating the state board IF Is
the governor ohesn no suggestions Al % 20 railroad taxation snouid DC
assessed. rhe repeal II the present law would leave the assessing # railroads 70
ton of the same oad in different counties Beside tn county assessors make u
the state board Of assessors; and if they are amenable % railroad influence as
SCISSORS. It would seem that he solution Of the question would lie in creating a
state tax commission. o Os appointed by the governor from among the cuisines
all other public or quasLpubnc utilities throughout Nevada. Center the rspon-
sibrity in . few hands so that the odim.1 any, that attaches to n acton, can
be definitely nxed. such a commission, giving study to the taxation problems of
the state. would be likely TO meet he needs tina nov exist II jsta and reason
able taxation Of IL property Il whatever kind.
The work of the railroad commission is properly Common ed by the goysrnoS-
6 embarrassed tsccnmnsim from HI FIRST. that body would b Of h ut
mosr6Rsht to thN state. irrespective OF ignorant criticism Il many papers the
maintained but it's powers enlarged; that it b given authority overt telegraph
md express companies am all common carriers.
We arr glad to see that the governor remains m in his friendship for the
state police law. While promising its retention Q m the statute books. it was
feared by some that h . would emamlate HI measure by amendments. But his
message supports h law in every essential respect and the amendments ug-
gHed in nowise impahs sits efficiency. AS time goes m the value of such
a law becomes more evident and opposition to it is scarcely noticeable from any
quarter. It vas promised by its opponents that the Law would certainly be re-
We hear nothing more about this sine election Its opponents hav evidently
cm to thu conclusion that the state police bill las com t. say and that agma-
The governor recommends the creation # the once OF State Nine Inspector
He also recommends laws that will control mining corporations AM sch laws
especially 3 wn operate asA"' ~'0'A''ns n'' '0"n'n'A'0 are
along the right line.
The News would make tho following suggestion: Nevada has what is known
IS a State Publicity Commissioner. whose duty it Is to conate and disseminate
facts regarding the resources O the state Now, W would like to see a law
enacted, creating . State Mining Bureau It would b the duty OF thisb bureau
to collect all facts about the resources OF the state. mre especially mining. Tho
bureau would q the supervision OF thu mining industry o. the state; would
have among it's appotntees, Al inspector Of mines; a publicity commissioner; a
supervisor of corporations. whose duty it would be to see that the corporation
laws, IS respects mining companies, are obeyed. ec. Il other words, the Bureau
of Mines would inspect the mines of the state collect and publish accurate facts
and statistics, collect the bullion tax and soc that all companies obey the laws
affecting mining corporation It would receive and keep oil file such reports as
may be made compulsory by the laws; investigate tn validity OF an mining
proposition that may be offered the public through tn sale OF stock. ant have
supervision Of tn mining industry Of h state generally. This would 10 ava
with the separate Offices of State Publicity Commissioner, Bullion Tax Collector
Mining Inspector, etc., and place their duties M functions with the Mining
Bureau where the work would be centralized and syHematsed and made alto
gether more emcient Nevada should make moro If its mining industry. 1t
should foster ant nouish it in every ray, nj the state could afordt to provids
more generously for such a bureau IAN almost any other department of state
have they to make sue a demand when they will not maintain . state depart
ment? Mining is contributing MORE than ny other n industry to III main
tsnance Of the state It is the on line along which the state can expand and
about the only line. Why. therefore. not give mining state recognition by eNah
fishing a bureau that would at the same time promote the industry at home, and
dignity it abroad? BY disseminating omcial information about our mines and
safeguarding tn interest Il foreign inveNorst there would % sue al inflow 81
f0rign capital to or state IS never before now and that would at once put
Nevada at the head OF all meanMerous states.