Gilpin observer., 1915-12-23

Senator Walsh, of Montana has
introduced a bill in the United States
senate, to place all radium bearing
ores under the control of the Federal
government forever. This, of course
interests Colorado more than any 9TH
er state, as the most of the radium
bearing ores in America are found
in Colorado.
This bill upon first reading, would
seem to be a drastic bill and would
work an injury to the state, but a
careful perusal Of its several sections
reveals much that tends not only to
promote the good of the industry,
but provides for government aid in
the manufacture OF this valuable ele-
ment SO essential to the welfare of
the human race, whose extraction is
SO costly that it is beyond the means
OF the individual mine owner, and
who would be compelled to sell his
product to combination who would
set any price they saw fit for the
purchase OF ores.
dunn ores shall be sold to the gov
ernment at price fixed by the
secretary OF the interior at the
worlds market price on the first of
January and July OF each year" This
may seem compulsory, but it gives
the producer the benefit OF the price
of the radium market of the world,
and prevents the building OF a gigan-
tic radium trust. A portion of this
section We give verbatim.
Sec. l The exclusive right of
the United States to purchase and
receive said ores from the owners
of such lands, their lsssees and as
signs, together with the right of the
United States to enter upon the
lands SO patented and mine, develop,
and remove said radium bearing ores
in the event that the patentee, his
lessees or assigns, shall fail to de-
velop and mine such ores with rea-
sonable diligence, upon payment to
such patentee, his lessees or assigns,
of the market value of the said ores
SO mined and removed, as fixed by
the secretary Of the interior under
the provisions Of section four OF
this act, less the cost of mining and
removing same, shall be expressly
reserved in any and all patents which
may hereafter be issued for lands
located under this act: Resolved,
That If the United States shall at
any time fail or refuse to purchase
any such radium ores of sufficient
value to be merchamtable, extracted
from any such lands so located,
whether patented or unpatented, up
on the tender of the same for sale
in carload lots at any railroad sta
ton, the exclusive right of the Unit
ed States to purchase such ore or
any ores thereafter extracted from
all other mining claims contiguous
thereto and held in common there
with as well as the right to enter
upon the same for failure diligently
to mine any of such claims shall
thereupon cease and tine unrestricted
right of disposition of all ores with
in such claims or extracted therefrom
shall thereupon accrue to the owner,
lessee, or other rightful occupant
thereof"
This section prohibits tie accu-
mulating of radivm lands by private
owners CT companies for speculative
! al nit
er work the same or allow Of gov
ernment control. This may seem
drastic, but 1t reveals the govern
ment's intention when it ceded its
right and granted the mineral patent
that its intent was to have the same
diligently develored instead Of re-
naming idle for an indefinite period.
and retard the progress of the camp.
Sec. 8. That the sale gift, or
other disposition of said rad'um bear
ing ores from lands located under the
provisions of this act to any person,
association, or corporation other thar
the United States shall be unlawful
and any violation hereof shall subjec
any location made or patent issued
to forfeiture. and the person, associa
tion. or corporation so selling. Civ
ing or otherwise unlawfully disposint
OF said ores sfall. upon conviction
thereof. be punished by a fine of moi
less than twice the value OF the ores
so sold, given away, or unlawfully
disposed Of: Provided. That when
in the opinion of the secretary of the