The Wallace miner. [volume] (Wallace, Idaho) 1907-current, 1914-01-29
AMERICAN RAD|UM FOR
THE AMERICAN PEOPLE
SECRETARY LANE OUTLINES
PURPOSE OF LEGISLATION
WITHDRAWING LANDS.

In reply to protest against the
proposed Legislation allowing Will
urawal of public lands known or pc
lieved to contain radium ores, Secre-
tary Lane states the issue as one
which is believed to be that OF lie anu
death to hundreds of thousands oi
Americans.
/, The apprehension seems to be, the
secretary states, that vast areas IN
amy part" of Colorado are to be clos
| ed to entry ION suspicion" and thus
prospecting not only for radium but
for the precious and semiprecious met
ais as we'll will be stopped. These
Ii fears are not we'll founded. The dis
tribution of radium bearing minerals
as now known in Colorado is fairly
well defined, and there is no intention
| in the interior department to apply
Withdrawals outside of the relatively
small areas known to contain these
minerals.
The pitchblende of Gilpin county is
already entirely owned by individuals
and corporations, and a single Ameri-
can company now controls more than
100 carnotite claims, the radium pro-
duct from which will be sold to the
highest bidder in any country. The
carnotite deposits which it is now pro-
posed to devote primarily to the use
Of the American people are known
through Investigations Of the United
States geological survey to be for the
most part confined to particular beds
Of rock
Best Radium Ore Shipped Abroad.
The official statistics of 1918 as to
our exports Of uranium and vanadium
ores carrying radium, indicate larg-
er content Of radium in the Colorado
ores shipped to Europe than in the
somewhat greater tonnage of ores
treated or kept in this country. The
joint resolution submitted by the Sec
rotary for the consideration of con.
gress contains authority not only for
the president to withdraw radium
lands from further private appropria-
ton but also for the secretary Of the
interior to lease these lands or other.
wise provide for the mining ne Tho
ores so as to secure the needed supply
OF radlum for the government and hos
pltals OF the United States. The Wig
orous administration which such a law
would deserve by reason of the ur-
gent nature of the matter would de-
mand that there be no delay in open-
ing the deposits to purposeful utiliza-
.ion' The object of the proposed Leg
islatlon Is not reservation from use
out rather development under cond,-
lions not only favoring but even fore.
ing the best use of this valuable re-
source, which has no value except as
1t is mined and used.
HadIum Once Extracted Can 81 u.ed
for Generations.
Ihe effort of the federal government
should be and Secretary Lane states
that ne believes it will be, directed m
the promotion Of all mining of rad,nm
ores in Colorado and Utah. in any
ana every way conducive to the pro-
lection of Americas interest in tho
product. Early exhaustion of these
deposits in the sense that we speak az
exhaustion OF other mineral resources
IS something which need not be feared
Inc radium once extracted from the
ores becomes available for continued
use without appreciate loss and be-
comes permanent addition to the
needed supply The same radium that
IS placed at humanity's service TODAY
may De used by our children for MANY
generations.