The Wallace miner. [volume] (Wallace, Idaho) 1907-current, 1913-09-11

take the place Of those which are be-
coming exhausted
Most Prospecting Land Owned by the
Government.
Most of the land in which it is pos
sible to find new mines is still part Of
the public domain, and owned by the
people as a whole. 1t Is therefore sug-
gested that it would be a proper func-
ton Of the government to system
atically search its own lands for min
eral- bearing veins, using all the
knowledge gained from science and
from the experience of trained pros
pectors.
Such work could be very properly
performed under the direction of the
geological survey, though only a com
paratively small number of the force
employed need be trained field geolo-
Igists Good prospectors are close OBJ
servers, and with a good field geo
logist to aid In the Interpretation Of
their observations, much good could
probably be accomplished in the way
of finding ore deposits whose existence
might never be suspected by the aver
age prospector. because Of obscure
outcrops or none at all. 1t would also
be possible to eliminate much effort
which is now expended in the explor-
alton of geologically impossible re-
gions.
Limited Government Development.
Assuming the discovery of proms-
ing PROSPECTS by the government ex-
plorers, the question of what to do
next with such discoveries is another
problem. am not one of those who
believes that the government should
engage in mining or in any other
business that can be better handl
by private capital; nor do ! believe
that the mines discovered by the use
of public funds should be donated IT,
individuals. However, the policy Of
leasing public lands, both mineral and
non mineral, seems to be growing in
popular favor, and system of leasing
partly developed prospects could
doubtless be devised.
| One plan would be for the govern
ment to first do enough development
to show that certain prospects had
merit 1t could then publish list Of
prospects with brief description Of
each and call for bids; longtime
lease to be given to the responsible
bidder who offers the highest royalty.
Forfeiture should be provided in the
event that the lessee should violate
rules intended to safeguard the gov
ernment's interests, but no attempt
will be made in this letter to formu, :
ate such rules.
Would the salaried Prospector Keep
Busy.
As an objection to this PLAN II
might be urged that salaried pros
pector would not have the same in
centive to spur him to action as the
prospector of the past, and this IL
doubtless true, Notwithstanding the
fact that excellent work is done by the
employes of such government de-
partments as the Geological Survey
Bureau Of Mines, Reclamation Service
and others. To attract and keep good
Imen. IT might be proper for the gov
eminent to offer Its prospectors, In ad-
dition to moderate salaries. preference
rights to lease at low fixed royalty
any promising ground found by them
or to participate in royalties received
by the government from others This
in effect would make the government
colossal grubstaker on its own do
main; but It would be grubstaking
trained men instead Of amateurs, and
the results should be correspondence
better.
This plan need not exclude pri-
vate individuals from exploring the
public lands In search Of minerals ex-
cept that certain sections should be
Temporarily withdrawn from entry
while being examined by the govern
ment men.
Possibly the ideas outlined above
will be Of sufficient interest to others
lof your readers to induce criticism.
"