Elk City mining news. (Elk City, Idaho) 1903-1913, 1913-06-12
SUBSCRIPTION RATES:
CHANGING THE MINING LAWS.

has 1OrmuldCeu HSI VI NS'i-e
changes in the mining law of the
limited States. The amendments are
as follows:
l. The mining law should be revised,
not piecemeal, but thoroughly, so as to
coordinate and harmonic in various
provisions. :,
2. Mining claims should.be locatable
regardless of discovery, and held
only SO long as the specified develop
ment work is performed.
8. Placer locations should be limited
to deposits of loose material above SOLID
he'd rock. The locator should have a
preference right to locate also any
lodes developed on his placer ground.
d. A statute of limitations should
establish reasonable term of years
beyond which placer patents shall be
immune from attack on the ground OF
fraud.
5. Provision should be made for the
location and working of petroleum,
phosphates, rare earths, haloids and
other mineral substances not speclfi-
cally mentioned in the present law.
6. Full privilege of appeal to some
competent court of law should be pro-
vided for in all cases of contests be-
tween rival claimants, or between
locator and the government.
7. Notes of mining locations should
be so recorded as to give the fullest
possible notice to the world and to all
concerned.
8. The apex law should be abolished.
9. Existing titles should be re-
affirmed and fully recognized and no
effort should be made to create retro
active legislation.
10. For the purpose of giving the
fullest consideration to the needs OF
every branch of the mining industry
and every section of the country, it is
desirable that government commission
be created by act of congress, whose
duty it shall be to investigate by every
proper means the question and interests
here referred to, and to make recon-
mendations as basis for the proposed
mining law revision.
There can be no difference of opinion
concerning the first proposition. The
adoption of the second recommends
ton would do away with the trouble
which has been rendernd so acute by
rulings of the land office affecting the
Tintlc district of this state. The i'm
possibility of always finding discovery
even where one has every reason tx
suppose ore will occur in considerable
quantity, is familiar to every locator O.
mining claims. We know of instance
where the ground has been located ant
the best efforts of the men in charg
then devoted to finding some technica
discovery near the discovery near tn
surface, when the same amount o
energy expended in consistent develop
ment by deep sinking would have pre-
duced commercial results. This eS
nerience is common. The second pan
of the proposition is desirable as tenC
ing to the development of claims a
ready held, and the putting of them
such shape that capital would TAX
them up. At present the locator
often too anxious to stake all tt
ground possible, scatter his work, no
his claims at the expense of others
nominal compliance with the law, ar
develop no one of them to the poll
where they will sell, thus working
hardship on the industry and on othe
who would be willing to develop Il
ground.
Propositions three, four and fl
form desirable amendments. The mi
erals mentioned in the latter have nc
become important sources of veal
and the litigation due to present CO
ditions has rendered their exploitati
difficult.
The other recommendations are
important, but we desire to call ate
ton mainly to the sixth. Practice
all other rights that man may n
are protected by the right of appeal
some court of proper jurisdiction.
the right to mining location is
termined before tribunal which at
same time acts as judge, jury and pr
ecutor. How long would we stand 81