The Wallace miner. [volume] (Wallace, Idaho) 1907-current, 1914-07-09
GOVERNMENT POLICY
TOWARD RAD|UM LAND
NOW CLAIMED PURPOSE is TO
ENCOURAGE PROSPECTING
AND HELP MINER.


eminent does not contemplate with
drawal of radium bearing lands, say.
q mining exchange.
Moreover the bill recommended fol
gress appears, upon cursory examina-
ton, to be most favorable to the pros
peCtor and miner in that 1t is calculat'
ed not only to encourage prospecting
and mining. but also to furnish g
ready and steady market for the out
put; the element of paternalism. Sc
feared by the public, seems to have
been almost wholly eliminated,
What New Bill Provides.
The title of this bill is as follows
II. r. u Al Teported for passage
without amendmenD, a bin to provide
for and encourage the prospecting
mining and treatment of radum bear
ne ores in lands belonging to the
United States, for the purpose OF Sc
curing an adequate supply of radium
for governmental and other hospitals
in the United States and for other
purposes.
Briefly analysed, this bill as re-
ported, WithdraWs no land from entry
nor does it reserve to the United States
the ownership Of radium bearing de-
posts on lands still under govern
mental control. 1t simply gives to the
general government a preferential
right exclusive or not at the discre-
ton Of the secretary Of the interior)
to purchase radium bearing ores from
lands now owned by it, at such prices
to be fixed 10y the secretary of the in
terror, as will cover the cost of min
ing operations and encourage the same
under conditions that require only a
fun and prompt development of the
radium deposits.
Thus are established two conditions
by no means always enjoyed by the
miner namely, a steady market ano
sure, prompt payment for the product
In this respect, obviously, the bill.
places radium ores nearly on a pal
with gold ores, than which there IS Nc
better asset known to mining or to any
other industry, for that matter.
Differ on Control Matter.
1t is true, as always happens Wher
the question Of so-called governmental
interference is raised, that there is {
difference Of opinion on this subject
Some claim that the general govern
ment has no right to monopolize tho
output of radium bearing ores, blu
should erect it's extraction works an(
enter the market in open competition
with private bidders, of which there
are several, notably the Radium Com
pany of America, the Primos Cheml
cal company and the Standard Chemi
cal company, all of which have eXtrac
ton works in operation i'll Pennsyl'
vania and New York. Others claim
that the genueral government. through
the bureau Of mines, discriminates il
negotiating with the newly incorpor'
ated National Radium institute, be-
Howard Kelly Of Baltimore and james
Douglas of New York. who will chiefl!
benefit, 50 it is alleged.
However, we may safely leave the
gress, trusting to publicity and public
opinion for wise solution of the
problem. This bill is a good one on
the face of it, provided, always, that
the powers it confers are not abused
The German states and Austria Hun
gary prohibit expectation Of radum
bearing ores under heavy penalty.
The prime reason for this contem
plated action on the part of govern
ment lies in the great value of radlun
salts in the treatment of disease, es-
pecially of certain forms of cancer
rheumatism, benign tumors, etc.
The only other reason, at present
is to secure additional supplies of ra-
dunn salts for scientific use. 1t has
been demonstrated that any attempt
at increasing soil productivity, by the
use Oh Idllp-dltlNN lNi lii''>Si"' ''N'N
fail for a variety of reasons, principal
among which is that the cost would
prove prohibitive.
Properties of Radium.
The development Of radioactivitN
has projected us into an undreamet
realm of thought and new interests
The phenomena of radiology are close
" allied to those of radioactivity anc
their application in the treatment Of
disease demands the skill Of the phys
icists as well as that of the physician
Radum emits energy in the form o
rays that are extremely powerful IL
their action on organic matter, al
though wholly invisible to the unaidet
eve. BY means of an instrument call
ed either the pnthariscope or scintil
loscope, however. these emanatlon
may be seen bombarding zinc screen
in a manner that is truly marvellous
resembling nothing so much as mag
nificent display Of fireworks, in Whicl
brilliant, uncolored bombs and roma1
candles are exploded.
These mineral carnations are in