Los Angeles herald., 1910-10-01
BY JAMES WYNKOOP

The adoption of resolutions favorable
to conservation of natural resources,
the election of officers for the ensuing
year: the selection Of the place for
the next annual convention, and q
smoker were the features OF the sew
eral sessions of the American Mining
congress yesterday.
Governor r. E. Sloan of Arizona, who
was called back to Phoenix after start
ing for the congress, wired his re-
grets and authorized L. w. Powell or
that territory to read an address pre-
pared by him, favoring conservation In
a broad way, but with certain pro-
visions which the conservattonists in
all probability, 1t is said, will consider.
A resolution submitted Thursday by
Thomas e. Gibbon, a delegate from
Los Angeles. W. } reported on favor
ably yesterday morning and adopted
In substance by the American Mining
congress. The substitute prepared by
the conservation branch of the com
mittee on resolutions, in its adoption
Of this resolution, resolved that the
congress recommend to the congress
of the United States that the depart
ment of justice take steps to recover
for the people grants made by the
government to the Southern Pacific.
The name OF the corporation was
omitted from the substitute, but the
original resolution clearly stated in
effect that the grants of the Southern
Pacific were not legal and could be
contended. The substitute will serve
the desired purpose.
The substitute for Mr. Gibbons reso-
luton follows:
RECOVERY OF PUBLIC LANDS
Whereas, It has been the uniform
policy of the United States govern
ment in disposing of its public
lands to grant title to its mineral
lands under and by virtue of the
operation of the mineral laws, and
Whereas, large grants of public
and have been made from time to
time; and in such grants certain
reservations have been specifically
made as to mineral lands or the
discovery of minerals thereon, and
Whereas, under said grants the
grantees have taken possession of
large areas of land which 1t Is now
claimed contain mineral, title to
which, under the express terms of
the grant, would not pass to the
grantee,
Therefore, resolved, that the
American Mining congress recon-
mend to the congress of the Unit
ed States that such investigation
as may be necessary shall be made
by the department of justice and in
all cases where IL is found that
public lands are held under any
Of the aforesaid grants by the gran
tees, the title to which, under the
grant, should now vest in Il Unit
ed States, proper action be taken
to recover the same.
Another resolution bearing upon the
withdrawal of lands and their relation
to the prospector and operator in the
oil fields was reported favorably and
adopted by the congress. This resolu-
tion follows:
This congress recognizes that the
United States government in its
dealings with the mineral lands and
the miners operating thereon has
uniformly treated the subject along
broad and equitable lines, and that
those who pursuant to the invita-
tion of the government have ex-
plored the mineral lands, discovered
mineral therein and in good faith
developed the same have almost
uniformly been protected In their
rights.
In this connection attention Is
called to certain recent rulings of
the land department, that while
they may be proper as applied to
the facts therein involved are in
other respects inconsistent with the
previous rulings of the department,
and the decisions of the court. I'M
der which recent rulings associa-
tions of persons who have entered
upon oil and other mineral lands in
good faith, explored and developed
the same and discovered oil there
in, have been denied patents, where
prior to discovery and frequently
for the purpose of raising money for
development purposes certain OF
the locators had conveyed their In
terests, so that there were at the
time of discovery less than eight
Iocators interested in such claim.
Previous to these recent rulings
il had been uniformly held by the
courts and by the department,
where the laws had been compiled
with and mineral or oil discovered,
that such locatoS's or their success
or or successors in interest were
entitled to patents.
These recent rulings, II adhered
to, would destroy many Investments
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