New-York tribune., 1912-02-10
MINING ENGINEERS SPLIT
proucsaI to Raise Dues OF Amer
lean Institute the Cause,
CIRCULAR IN OPPOSITION OUT
! n.fpnded on Ground That Larger
income Is Needed-Two Other
Changes MoOted.

..,I members Of the American Insti,
-. ~ Mining Engineers gathered at the
- ~ one Of their number, j. Parke
.,,ne os,vo at No. q Broadway, Yesterday
,..,,oon 10 talk over the proposed changes
,hA ORGANIZATIONS constitution. drawn
nv q special committee appointed at the
,nai meeting last February. The gath
80 was q product of the discomfort
s.siob has been spreading through the in
.,,ute over the amendments advanced by
~. committee and was called 70 crystalline
,ba feeling into a determined resistance
.bsn the vote is taken on February % at
,b,s years meeting. in the Engineering So
,I.,ss Building, No. % West seth street.
The amendments, if adopted, will work
,hrse radical changes in the organization.
The first purposes TO change the name of
cha society 10 THE American Institute Of
Mining and Metallurgy." The second pro-
dds for the admission of so-called "iunior
members" recruited from the ranks Of
students Of mining and its kindred sci
ences.
But the change which has aroused the
greatest opposition is the one which raises
,be dues OF full members from SO TO SIS
year. provides for an initiation fee ot so
and imposes an additional yearly tax Of s.
m all members and associate members liv-
ing within a radius OF fifty miles Of the
socety's headquarters.
A circular, signed by twenty of the most
monument members of the society, asking
for votes against this last proposal Of the
committee, has been going the rounds of
the institute for some days. Il calls the
reasons advanced by the secretary Of the
Institute for the increase Of dues vague and
. unsatisfactory Without denying that an
increase nsy be advisable, 1t states the in
tsntion Of It's sieners 10 contest such
measure until full information respecting
the situation has been communicated to all
members Of the institute. It puts forward
the proposal 10 appoint an independent
committee to study the affairs of the insu-
tute before further action is taken.
Speaking OF the circular. one Of it's sign
ers, Christopher r. Corning whose engi-
neering Office IS at No. 36 Wall street said
yesterday: I'VE don't know any reason
why the dues should be advanced. and no
man cares 10 put his hand down in his
pocket unless he knows that 1t is going to
'6o some good. That's natural, isn't It?
There is no contest about this. We're SIM
ply trying to find ont what 1t means
that's all"
JOSEPH Langeloth Of No % Broadway,
president Of the American Metal Company
and director in a number OF other COM
panies concerned in mining, explained the
grounds on which he had set his signature
70 the circular.
The committee" he said. "is Of the opln-
ion that the institute needs a larger in
come SO far as l know, there wasn't a
deficit last year but they are planning
some extensions that will take money.
Now it doesn't make any difference TO the
older members OF the society whether they
pay S or $50 a year, but It does make
difference to the younger members, and
they are the ones We want.
we who signed the circular argue that
our membership ought 10 be about twice
wha; il is. We ouGht to be as large as the
Chemical Club, which has between S Oo) and
1900 members whereas we have only about
4O00 7 believe II you raise the dues YOU
are going to keep the young fellows cut
and the young fellows who urc In now will
resign. II the management wants TO
branch out in any direction II ought 10
effect economies in other directions rather
than drive out the men VINO are not able
70 pay these high dues"
Fourteen members Of the institute assem-
bled at the United States Geological SGryev
conference IN Washington on January q
signed set Of resolutions opposing all
three Of the proposed amendments. The
New York members seen Yesterday consd-
cred the other two proposals unimrortan
The main thing to fight, they said, was the
advance IN dues. Other signers Of the New
York circular were W. r. ingalls,, Of the
Hill Publishing Company; Allen II. Rogers.
Of No q Broadway, John H. Allen, Of No.
2 Rector street and T. +. Sharpless, Of No.
2 Broadway
The committee which drew up the amend
ments consisted Of Professor Joseph W.
Richards, E. c. sp!lsbury and Theodore
Dwight