The Cordova daily times., 1917-01-12
GOVT. WILL AID THE M|N|NG
 PROSPECTOR

tween the department of the interio and the mining prospectOr for the de Velopment of the enormous minera resources of the United States is mad, by H. N. Lawrie, director of the Ore gon bureau of mines and geology, il an article in the current number O the Mining Press. MT. Lawrie asserts that the administration is already do Ing much to encourage prospecting and pays a tribute to Secretary of tht Interior Franklin K. Lane The article follows:
 The fact is patent, without refer ring to statistics, that the prospector finds more attractive field for his endeavor in Canada and other foreign countries than in his old stamping ground, the United States and Alaska. Since the prospector is the fundamen- tai operator of the mining industry. his important relation should be care. fully analysed and the conditions un- der which he operates well estab. lished. The activity of the prospector in the field is a we'll known index to the activity of mining and any inter- ference with his freedom or opera ton is directly reflected in the retar- datiOn of the industry.
 Government Has important Study.
 The federal government through its bureau of mines, can do nothing more useful than study the reasons for the rapid migration of the pros- pector to foreign fields and remove the causes of it by recommending to con gress. Pursuant to a better under standing of this subject, it is we'll to cite a number of the reasons that are most destructive to the occuption of the prospector in the United States and Alaska, as the prospector sees them.
 The inbOrn patriotism of the Am erican is so strong that 1t is a hard ship for him to leave this country for any economic reason. but when he does goes into foreign parts he feels that his own government should care for his welfare at least as much as the government of the country to which he goes. His position in this matter is sane. Often the United States, for lack of a system of aid to the prospector. not only loses the re- suit of individual enterprise, but also a citizen.
 Prospector Is Being Hampered.
 ITO trace this feeling generally that the government is not protecting but rather hampering the prospector's ef- forts, 1t Is necessary to go back to 190619O7, when the land fraud cases in the Northwest and Alaska forced the president to withdraw thousands of acres of public land and place it in reserve to await more specific clas- sifications before reopening it for en- try. At about the same time the con seryation idea was sOwn broadcast without qualification. Like most re- forms, the conservation movement was born in theory and since has been de YelOping to meet more practical de- mands. The theoretical stage was waste of our natural resources, while the more recent constructive conser. vation recognizes the necessity for de. veloping and using our natural re sources.
 While this movement in the United States started because of high handed and dishonest land and timber lOcat OTIS, the Alaskan withdrawals result ed from fraudulent coal locations. To the prOspector speculative element was introduced into the title of his holdings. The capitalist backing the prOspector soon withdrew his aid or the ground that the title in fee might not be forthcoming, as security for his investment It remained for the de partment of the interior to dispel this IuSd Oi uncertainty. He COHSlFuCtlNG work of the department of the inter for began to be felt through the expen diture of titles (by clipping much red tape) and through legislation.
 Reopening Land Forward Step.
 The reOpening of vast areas in th' United States and Alaska to entry the passage of the Alaska railroad and coal leasing bills, marked the frs steps in permitting the developmen of our natural resources after a periOt of lethargy during which thousand of prospectors were forced to chang, their field of operation.
 The United States geological sur vey has won the public confidence il matters pertaining to land classifica tiOn. This is largely due to the fac that most capable geologists are St lected to advise in such importan business. The classification of tn natural resources on the public dt main which responsibility congress long since called upon the geologicf survey to assume, should be rigorous ly sustained by the issuance of the co responding land titles by the Unite States land office. Inasmuch as tn funds available are not sufficient