Weekly independent. [volume] (Elko, Nev.) 1887-1914, 1913-09-05
FAKERs FOILEO BY U. S.

ehoe buS roTSSt or
vice often stands between the pub
lie and the guileful promoters of
fake mining schemes and other get
rich quick ventures. The young
Wallingfords who still roam the
land in considerable numbers can
sell blue sky if they can find any
plausible excuse for capitalizing it
and issuing beautifully printed
stock certificates thereon.
Experience has taught the pro-
moters that one of the best things
on which to issue worthless stock
is government patent to a mineral
claim. The ordinary citizen seems
to look on a government patent as
certificate of validity. Conse-
quently the wiley promoters have
been full Of plans to secure patents
to mineral claims in the national
forests forcing the Forest Service
to adopt some rather stringent re-
Sulations for the protection of the
public against fakes.
1t is not enough any more for
the prospector 10 assert that min
erals exist in a claim in order to Sc
cure a patent to it. The Service
now sends out inspectors under a
regulation adopted "to preserve
the integrity of the national forest
and the coed sndingS of the min
ng industry" If the Inspector
finds that no minerals exist in the
claim a patent refused.
Il Cases are rsquent," said Chief
Forester Graves in a recent state
ment, "of wildcat companies seek
, ing to patent extensive areas of
land barren of mineral or other
value for no other purpose than
that of dsceiving the Innocent in
vestor. In such cases the promot-
ers intend to exhibit the patent
issued by the government as proof
of the value Of the land"
BOOKS BARRED FROM PARCEL
POST.
Hon David Lewis, Of Maryland,
chairman Of the House Committee
on Labor, wants books admitted
to the parcel post. The parcel post
aw drafted by former Senator
Jonathan Bourne, carefully exclud
ed books from the list Of articles
mailable by parcel post. Conse-
quently books still travel in the
mail under the third class rate,
with four pound weight limit.
This throws the book carrying busi-
ness to the express companies.
| Fortunately, and largely due tn
the efforts of Mr. Lewis. the parole
post law contains a provision ensb-
ling the Postmaster General to
change the conditions imposed by
the law at will. He can issue an
order with the consent of the Inter-
state Commerce Commission ad-
mitting hooks to the mails at par
eel post rates. This Mr. Lewis
wants him to do, and he has intro
duced in the House resolution to
that effect.
HOW WISCONSIN DOES 1T.
II New Hampshire had on her
statute books law such as has re-
Gently been adopted by the state Of
Wisconsin, the advocates of con-
servation would not be SO much
concerned about the suit of the
New Hampshire attorney general
to reserve to the state the water
power in the streams in the district
proposed to be added to the federal
Appalachian Forest Reserve.
The Wisconsin legislature pro-
ceeded under the theory that the
power inherent in the fall Of water
belongs to the whole people and
not to those who happen to own
the banks of the streams. The law
provides that all riparian rights in
streams shall expire in 20 years af-
ter the issuance of franchises and
that the franchises themselves
shall have life of not over 25
years Moreover any municipality
near q water power plant, or the
state itself, may purchase the
power plant at cost Of construction
| less deterioration.