Bisbee daily review., 1916-01-26
MINING LEGISLATION SENT ID CONGRESS
 MIGHT BE HARMFUL
Prof. Willis Calls Attention to Proposed Measure which Would Destroy Harmony That Now Exists.

IL IS reported Dy fTOl- CHdTleS T. Willis, chairman of the Arizona Com mittee of the American Mining Con gress on Federal Legislation. that two bills which greatly affect Arizona mining interests have recently been introduced into Congress, and at the present time look as if they were go- ing the wrong way.
 H. R. 153 provides for the creation of Bureau of Labor Safety in the Department of Labor While it is be- lieved that a bureau of labor safety is an extremely important thing, and should be passed. it should be so amended that it does not exclude the activities of the U. s. Burean of Mines. This bureau has done remark ably good work in the promotion of labor safety in mines and metallurgi- cal plants, and there has been perfect cooperation between the mine manag. CTS, the mine workers and the U. s Bureau of Mines. To disturb these relations of confidence could not pos sibly better the work and might easily destroy the relations. Should the bin pass in its present form it would mean a duplication of effort in mine safety work, which would not only be wasteful, but might lead to conflicts very harmful to work. Should legis- lation provide for the transfer of all mine safety work to the Department of Labor, it would mean the destruc- tion of the U. S. Bureau of Mines machinery, and would probably lead to the destruction of that sympathy for this work which has been manifest on the part of the mine operators.
 The U. S. Bureau of Mines was ere ated with view to increasing safety in mining and metallurgical indus tries, and it is urged to amend the bill creating the Bureau of Labor Safety by the addition of the follow ing:
 Except that the Bureau of Mines, in connection with it's investigations looking to the prevention of accidents and the improvement of safety and health conditions in the mining, metal lurgical and ether mineral industries, as required by existing law, shall pre- pare for said Bureau of Labor Safety such reports on this subject as may be called for"
 Some opposition has been brought against Senate Bill 52, which pro. vides for commission to codify and suggest amendments to the general mining laws. It has been argued that the congressional subcommittee would be able to prepare a suitable code of mining laws to be presented direct to Congress in the form of 2 bill, and thus do away with the neces- sary expense of the commission. If this bill does not pass, and congress sional subcommittee prepares code of mining laws, it will undoubtedly mean a similarly loosely constructed set that We have at the present time. which only make business for the lawyers and courts,-it would be bet ter to retain the present laws which have at least been partially interpret ed, than to have new set which would take years of litigation and millions of dollars to get interpreted.
 Our source of opposition lead by Delegate Wickersham of Alaska Is that those asking for the revision of the mining laws are the big interests of the east, and assumed that the present laws, as interpreted by the courts, are sufficient to meet the pres eat reuirements. This is not the case. as no one desires more that the laws be changed than the small operator and the prospector. because of the fact that the loosely constructed pres ent laws allow for litigation, which is impossible for the smaller man. The progress of the State of Arizona as well as others of the mining states, has been greatly retarded because of the inadequacy of our mining laws, and the revision of the code should not be to revise a portion of the laws, but make a complete new code.
 The present laws. framed in 1872, are 40 years behind the times. They have never conformed to the facts of geological structure and are not adapt ed to present methods of prospecting. developing and financing mining prop critics. The wide dissatisfaction of the mining public has long been expressed through every means at it's command. Judges. engineers. lawyers, geologist, and mining, men of every class have been pointing out the various faults of the present code Mining law re- vision is necessary, and should be done carefully and completely.
 It is urged upon all those interested in mining to call the attention of the members of Congress to these facts, and show them wherein the opposition is mistaken.
 As chairman of the Arizona Com mittee on Federal Legislation, Prof. Willis desires very much that those ip,a-acfed will kaLa the time, tO pX.