Mohave County miner., 1912-04-27
Mine Patent Ruling.

Consolid ted Mining company, of Utah, for patent to its mining claims, has been denied by the land department of the U. s. government on the grounds that the property of the company has not been developed to such an extent that it is producing and paying mine. The decision simply means that, here- after, no titles will pass from the gov ernment to the claim holder, unless it can be shown that the property in question is on producing and profit making basis; condition only attain ed after years of development and the expenditure of a large amount of money.
 This kindergarten and idiotic de- cision by the land department has stirred mining circles from center to circumference. In our opinion it is idiocy uncomparable and could only emenate from government officials whose state of mentality should be in- vestigated by a board of lunacy, and who have progressed so far in senile decay as to make them objects of sympathy, if not of ridicule, of the country at large.
 The mineral bearing lands of any country are almost universally located in arid and inhospitable regions, and are valueless for any purpose except for the precious and baser metals they contain. Before present day crazy conservation ideas obtained, the gov ernment was anxious that these mineral fields should be developed so that the whole country might be bene- fitted by the new and lasting wealth to be obtained from this source. Liberal laws were in force for the requirement of these lands. and the claimholder was encouraged to develop his holdings in the hope that producing mine might be added to the country's list of bonanzas; and, when certain amount of work and money has been expended in mine de. velopment and equipment. the claim. owner was entitled to vested right in hls holdings after making the proper showings. This law as far as we know, has never been revoked or changed. There is no valid reason why it should be, no occasion for a deviation from regular practice in passing upon appli- cation for U. S. patents; and yet, be. cause the present administration is content to fill it's various departments with boobs and incompetents, the min- ing men of the country are to be har- rassed and embarrassed by decisions which will not stand the test of law if the cases were carried to the courts.
 If thls decision is allowed to stand, it will be constant menace to the m in ing industry; it will discourage pros pecting and clam location; for, if this is the real attitude of the government, the prospector may hesitate to stake a claim for fear that some wild.eyed and presumptive department official will declare the location invalid because the croppings do not carry 2O$.gold pieces already coined; and the claim. owner will be 10th to carry on develop. ment when the wise ones in Washing ton are to be the judges of what con- stitutes promising piece of mining ground, and whether or not it is good judgement to go further in the search for payable ore-bodies, the existence of which are indicated by the presence of seams and stringers, small surface values and hurgry croppings.
 The remarkable ruling of the land department follows, and if it IS logical and sound, the majority of the mining men of the mining regions are merely fools and lacking In the upper story The decision, according to press dis. patches, is as follows:
 'It is evident from the record be. fore the department that the deposits alleged to have been exposed on these claims are regarded by the applicant as possessing practically no economic value, but that, on the other hand, | title to the claims is sought essential. ly on account of their possible value for certain unexposed deposits suppos- ed to exist at considerable depth be. nnath tha curfaca opI ho