The Wallace miner. [volume] (Wallace, Idaho) 1907-current, 1916-09-14
LOCATION OF EXPERIMENTAL
STATION STILL UNSETTLED.


Although several weeks have passed
since Van H. Manning, director of thu
bureau OF mines, completed his In.
vestlgations in connection with the To-
cation OF the mining experimental sta
tion in the northwest, no announce
ment has been made by the secretary
OF the interior as to the location OF
the station. Mr.. Manning was sent out
to gain first hand information on the
subject and it was understood that his
recommendation would govern Secre-
tary Lane In arriving at decision
Although report came from Wash
ington about the time that Mr.. Man
ming came west thai the station would
be located at Seattle, the department
has since stated that the report was
erroneous and that no definite decision
would be made until he had completed
his investigation and made recon
mendation. This statement was ac-
eepted in good faith by the various APP
plicants for the station with the eX-
oeption of Spokane, Newspapers In
that city have recently published state
ments rejecting upon the motives OF
Secretary Lane, intimating that he Is
guilty of double dealing and that he
is making a political matter of the
location of the station. There seems
to be no Justification for such an in
situation. The secretary Is MEM
Der of the commission dealing with
the Mexican affair which is necessarily
engaging his whole attention at this
time, and besides there are many
big questions and smaller ones too in
the interior department which must
receive his consideration. II is there
fore easy to understand why there
should be some delay In action on the
location of the mining experimental
station. Under these circumstances 1t
Is unfair to accuse the secretary of re
sorting to the double cross. The people
Of Idaho are deeply interested in the
final decision, and believe that the
secretary win recognize the desirability
of placing the station at Moscow in
conjunction with the state school of
mines, but whatever his decision they
are not disposed to question the sin
certify of his motives. Senator Brady,
who has worked increasingly in be.
half of Moscow, recognizing the inn
portance of the station to the mining
industry of the northwest, has urge1
the secretary to announce his decision
with as little delay as possible, and It
is only fair to Sec rotary Lane to as
sumo that he will do this without re-
gard to political or other considerations
outside the interests of the mining in
dustry.
The value of the experimental sta
iion to the mining states of the north
west can hardly be over estimated.
The necessity of such an institution
and the benefits to be derived are
c'early indicated in letter recently
Gently issued by the Arizona bureau
OF mines referring to the experimental
station established by the government
at Tucson. The letter here follows
and it is equally applicable to Idaho
and other mining states to be served
by the northwest station:
1T seems to be general conviction
that state leaping forward at the
rate that Arizona has in the produc-
ton Of metals can have but few UNI
solved problems, but an analysis of
the situation will show that this is not
the case. over IS per cent of the cop
per yield of the state is produced by
10 companies. out of 400 producers
There are thousands of mines in the
state waiting for commercially profit
able methods of reduction. As 1t is at
the present time, with no facilities
FOR metallurgical research. the only !
hope of the smaller companies having
lnsolved problems is to sell out to the
large corporation with sufficient capt.