The Daily Missoulian. [volume] (Missoula, Mont.) 1904-1961, 1913-02-25
IDAHO MINING MEN
APPROVE PLAN
SCHEME FOR CLOSER HARMONY
between FOREST SERVICE
AND MINING INTERESTS.

Some time ago The Muscular made
mention of a plan under considera-
ton by District Forester F. A. Silcox,
with headquarters in Missoula, and
Secretary J. F. Callbreath Of the
American Mining congress, whereby
it was hoped to bring about a closer
relationship, a better understanding
and more harmony between mining
men of the west and the officers of
the forest service. This plan was to
have appointed a number of "griev-
ance" committees in the west, one to
be a central committee and the others
to be state committees, all to act be-
tween the liners and their complaints
and the forestry service and its poll
cies regarding mining claims. This
plan was presented in detail at the re-
cent meeting of the Idaho miners in
Boise and was adopted for that state.
To carry out the spirit Of the agree
ment District Forester Silcox has pre-
pared the following statement, a copy
of which has been sent to each of the
forest supervisors in Idaho:
Detailed Plan.
At the recent American Mining
congress meeting in Spokane, sugges-
ions were made to bring about closer
cooperation between the miners and
the officers of the forest service. Fol-
lowing up these suggestions the for
ester had a conference with j. +.
Callbreath, the secretary of the on
gress, and the outcome was the APP
prevail of a specific plan looking to
organized cooperation.
The plan is to have at Denver, Col
orado, a central committee Of the
American Mining congress. There
will be in each state subcommittee.
Any one who may desire may present
complaints to the subcommittees who
will investigate them. II they on
slider it wise, the complaint will be
passed on, together with such evidence
as the subcommittee may have found,
to the central committee and that
committee will consider the COM
plants and take them up with the for
est service. Ordinarily, however, the
plan is to nave the subcommittee take
it up with the district forester and
adjust, if possible, the matter in the
field. If the matter can not be ad-
justed in the field, it will be taken
up through the central committee
with the forester through Mr.. Call
breath. The forester has expressed
his entire approval of this plan, and
urged Mr.. Callbreath that the COM
mittee should feel free to confer with
the local forest officers and make any
suggestions they might have in mind
looking to a better understanding of
the methods of the forest service
Already this plan has been put into
practical effect for Idaho by the APP
pointment recently at a meeting of
the Idaho miners at Boise of a com
mittee authorized to consider com
plants against the forest service. The
resolution passed by them, covering
this subject, is eminently fair and
ought to provide a practical plan for
getting at the bottom of complaints
which have merit and for eliminating
those which do not. The resolution is
as follows:
"Resolved: That a committee of
three members be appointed for the
purpose of receiving any complaints
which may arise of specific instances
of alleged injustice to miners and
prospectors on government land either
inside or outside national forests. 1t
shall be the duty Of this committee,
upon receipt of any complaint, to re-
quire that the same shall be in writ
ing and shall be specific. The com
mittee shall thereupon take the mat
ter up directly with the proper gov
eminent officers and shall seek to Sc
cure all the facts for the purpose of
deciding the merits of the case. If it
is found that actual injustice has been
done the miner or the mining industry
in any given case this committee shall
its good offices in the name
of this association in an effort to eff
feet an equitable adjustment of the
trouble and shall submit a report at
the next meeting of this association
together with recommendations for
such specific legislation or changes in
the regulations as may be necessary
to prevent the occurrence of such in
in the future. The appoint
ment of this committee is neither an
attack on, nor an endorsement of,
the policy of the federal government
in dealing with the mining industry.
it is intended primarily to provide a
house for justice and to pre-
vent injustice being don through ig-
.norance, bad faith, or misinformation
on the part of either miner or Gov
eminent official alike. This COM
shall champion the mining in
only when it is in the right,