Albuquerque morning journal. [volume] (Albuquerque, N.M.) 1903-1926, 1909-09-30
DIG Or GET OFF
ADVICE To
MINERS
RADICAL CURE OFFERED
FOR PRESENT STAGNATI0N
Delegate to GoIdfieId Congress
Would Tax Idle Claims and
Force Them 10 Be Worked or|
Abandoned,

OlCG illeifl " DC WOlN N6u VI
Abandoned,
fBy Morning journal xseciaI Leased Wircl
Tonopah, Nev., Sept. 29.-The
American mining congress, which
opened at Goldfeld Monday. adjourn
ed from Goldfeld to Tonopah today
and after day spent in visiting the
mills and mines in the oldest camp in
the southern Nevada field, as guests
of the city, held session Of the con-
gress here late in the afternoon fol-
lowed by another one in the evening
A cordial welcome was extended to
the visiting delegates by q committee
of citizens who placed several special
trains at their disposal at Goldtield
this morning.
When the congress convened this
afternoon, papers on various subjects
relating to mining We're read The
principal speakers were Edmund +.
Kirby, mining engineer of St Louis,
and DR.. j. A. Holmes, chief of the
technologic branch of the United
States geological survey.
Mr.. Kirby spoke on the paralysis
OF mining districts in various sections
of the country and his suggestions as
to how this might be avoided met
with the strong disapproval of 4 num-
Der of delegates several of whom
voiced their objections on the floor Of
the convention
Mr.. Kirby said in part:
- as day Il, by the
p' taxa ton. every |
I.ltf or re-
Iexi,, 80 Alask' |
every claim - working. or opci
to prospectors. does it take a prophe
to see the result9 Does not every |
know of areas he would |
like to explore? Does not every |
miner, every operator know Of places |
where he would like to dig After |
the real mining industry begins, can
not everyone forsee in its general, |
steady and permanent prosperity a |
better living and more chances for |
fol errll"es lan are possible upQer <hc
present paralysis
"N1cn of the mining world. the new
ira awaits your call You have but
o say the magic words, dig, or get
on the claim
"Anali2c all the varied plans and
motives of these idle claim owners,
md we find that most OF them are
Waiting either IN the hope of proht-
ng in some way by the work of other
men. or, with the expectation that in
he distant future. investors will pay
prices which they now decline. The
deadlock thus produced is the deadly
paralysis which curses the mining in
lustry today There is nothing to
Freak il, nothing to force action,
There are no expenses. The assess
nent work of 500 annually for un-
iatented claims. is usually faxed, and |
he taxes are nothing. or SO trifling |
IS to be merely nominal
"OWners can wait forever. and they
10 So generation after generation,
loping that some time, in some way
he worn title deeds. or faded stock
ertincates, will enable them to eX-
ract fortune from other men. And
@, g great industry languishes. while
,aralysis. partial or complete, blights l
very district from the Mexican line
o the frontiers Of Alaska. And pros s
eetors have nowhere to go, ana
niners lack work. while investors and
he representatives Of mining capital
re searching this and other coun- c
res for opportunities to mine. Ii
"For centuries mining laws have :
cen saying that no man has the =
Ugh to hold mineral land idle; that 9
q must dig. or allow others to dig. =
he application of this principle was n
nective in small frontier camps
., 1t, t,o 4 laa Ia |
TODD on tho ground to enforce it, but
S it passed into general law covering | =
asst areas and became dependent =
pom the cumbersome machinery of "
for enforcement. It was y
)und impossible to compel the con- -
nuous operation desired Some y
odes were more effective than others,
ut even the old Mexican law. the
nest product Of accumulated expert II
nee. was only partially successful in
1is matter.
But the question may be raised | %
ow can 1t help an industry TO tax it n
he answer is that the industry. the | W
icging out of the mineral, is not | u
ixed Every man is made 10 pay for pl
ecupancy. for holding a reservation 81
mineral ground away from other II
rople who want it. Such q payment.
hen made just large enough 10 be v
or painful, on an idle n
aim. would be only a small item in in
le expense list of an operating claim. m
" it takes money to mine such an in
EN- would never stop or discourage, st
gging. ci
In producing mines. it would be IN
n less than the royalties now paid
-erywhere by miners 20 idle claim th
sners. When man has to pay for in
.e privilege. he win not hold more on
.ound than he intends to work on
hen the privilege Of holding Is free
viii naturally grab everything IN s.
sht and wait in order to hold UP ~
me one else who may want 10 use ar
Let the dog Ia the manger pay in
IF his manger. N
strange as it may seem ut hrst
sht IN. way to boom sn industry II ID
tax the natural resources II uses iu
4. way To- discourage g. Is 10 TAX =
- 4