The Wallace miner. [volume] (Wallace, Idaho) 1907-current, 1916-12-14

creasing efficient utilization of natural
gas, petroleum and products, through
it's studies of the recovery of gasoline
from natural gas, and the attention 1t
gave to the Rittman cracking process
for obtaining gasoline, benzene and to-
luene from petroleum.
Mining Regulations.
In the endeavor to promote safety
and efficiency in mining by aiding the
state legislatures to enact more effect
i've laws, the bureau of mines has ex-
amined all federal and state statutes
relating to mines and mineral prop
erty and all decisions of courts of last
resort in which these statutes have
been construed or interpreted. A large
bulletin recently issued embraces all
the United States mining statutes and
is annotated by references to all i'm
portant decisions. Also, the bureau is
publishing at regular intervals digests
of decisions bearing on mining that
have been handed down by state and
United States courts of last resort,
Still another work has been the pub
fishing of proposed rules and regula-
tons for metal mines. proposed
code of rules to govern the installation
of electrical equipment in mines is
now in course of publication.
Training of Engineers.
My statement of the work of the
bureau of mines for safety and efficien-
cy in the mineral industries would be
incomplete If l did not call attention
to the increasing important of the bur-
eau as a training school for engineers
and chemists. The services of the ex-
pert chemist are in greater demand
today than ever before. This fact has
been brought home to me by the num-
Der of men who have recently left the
bureau to engage in private work at
salaries far larger than the govern
ment now pays. 1t seems to me that,
in considering federal aid to mining
efficiency, we should endeavor to real
men will exert in making our indus
tries safer and more efficient.
Federal Appropriations
For the present fiscal year the APP
preparations for the bureaus work are
more than 100 per cent larger than for
the fiscal year 1911, the first year of
the bureaus existence. Still larger ap-
preparations were virtually promised
hxy Urh Nrntad norlU in
1915 to establish and maintain ten new
mining experiment stations and seven
new mine safety stations.
The specific purpose of the appro-
fluenced by the earlier Investigations
dealing with mine explosions Thus, in
1911, 60 per cent of the funds appro-
priated were for investigating mine ac-
cidents, 20 per cent for testing fuels,
Is per cent for general expenses, and
7 per cent for inspecting mines in the
territories and making public reports.
AS result, most of the Investigations
made hitherto have been Incidental to
mine safety work and related to coal
mining rather than to metal mining.
The appropriations for the present
fiscal year provide 100000 for mining
Investigations, and $4,000 for investi-
cations of petroleum and natural gas.
These funds will enable the bureau to
extend it's activities in fields that pre-
viousy have received only incidental
attention.
Projected Activities.
The 10 new mining experiment sta
tions are to be administered by the
bureau of mines and are to be located
at points in the mining regions where
, work can be done to best advantage
Plans have been perfected for the i'm
, mediate establishment of the first
, three of these stations-one in Alaska
one in the Pacific northwest and one
, In the southwest.
Also plans have been prepared fol-
developing the 10 stations into individ-
, ual centers of research, each attacking
r those problems of most interest to the
J locality in whichit is situated.
{ One of the great needs of the mining
' industry is the development of cleo.
tro- metallurgical processes for the re-
duction of the base metals. In certain
r parts of the country, as the Pacific
northwest, vast water power is avail
2 able and electricity can be generate
/, at minimum cost. There satisfact
s ory electro metallurgical process woul'
: make commercially profitable tn
working of millions of tons of minera
o deposits that can not now be worke,
: at profit.
f OF the projected Investigations non
: is of more importance than the stud
:, of ventilation in metal mines Pre-
o liminary work and the data obtaine
: In related Investigations have show
n the scope and character of investiga
: ton needed and the bureau hopes
be able to resume the work in tn
It coming fiscal year.
Y A study of subsistence, earth press
IS ures and roof supports in mimi
: promises results of great importanc
E. to mining and to various engineerin
% enterprises