Evening capital news. (Boise, Idaho) 1901-1927, 1917-01-21
PROPOSED MINING
LAW CONDEMNED BY
IDAHO PROSPECTOR

glneer and the miner have been heard
from concerning the proposed mining
legislation by congress, but heretofore
the views OF the most important man
of all In the mining industry-the pros
pector, have not been known. Now
comes word from one OF the trail blaz-
ers of the miner, and it is plain de-
nunciation Of the proposed measure.
In response to a bulletin issued by the
Idaho Mining association explaining
the bill and asking for expressions on
it. the following has been received by
Ravenel Macbeth. secretary OF the as
ISOLATION:
Elk City, IDAHO. Jan. u. 1917. The
Idaho Mining association. Gentle
men :-Bulletin No. 101, referring to
the proposed, on hand and contents
noted
The prospector should have been
consulted first AS it is, he is sim
ply signing his death warrant, either
way he votes now. That the law will
be an abortion, have no doubt what
ever, or it would not have been written
in it's present FORM
What possible difference, economic
ally speaking, will it make. whether
claim is the present size or altered to
a smaller size, except as an added bur-
den to the prospector; excepting that
one case, the changed aDex law, where
he may profit.
PROSPECTORS LEAVE.
When the agitation to do away with
the apex law began several years ago,
the prospectors threshed it out among
dropped their claims and left for Brit
ish Columbia. Even under present con-
ditions prospecting has become so diff
ficult that hundreds have, and are
leaving the hills for other countries or
other occupations.
To make obligatory for the prospec-
tor to get his ground patented in seven
years, or any other amount of years
for that matter, means he will be de-
prived of his claims after making the
discovery and putting in years Of hard
labor pioneering in isolated mountains,
The mining engineer claims that not
over one mine in a hundred prospects
is developed. Is it then fair to force n
prospector to get patent on a rocky
promontory, when in 80 cases out of 100
1t will never be anything else?
Where will the prospector get the
money from to patent his claims? They
are hkened TO homesteads, but they
are not. While the farmer can make
"A living from the beginning on a
homestead, in almost every case, a
prospector must pay for the privilege
of performing his work. While il cost
the homesteader about $50 to get the
patent for his homestead il will cost
the prospector $500 for one claim.
REDUCTION IN WAGES.
One of the most unscientific prop
ostions for scientific men to propose
is to cut the prospectors' labor value
on his claims from S. a day to possib-
ly $3.50 or "a day. and the cost of
living is rising almost every day. II
lkened to the other wage work CT or
the district in regard 20 wages, is the
to steal his caps, fuse, pow
der and tools?
The prospectors' work should not be !
with other miners as he has
neither the food accommodation or
regular hours of his brother miner. He |
is always occupied for hours after his
days work. where the miner can rest
when his eight hours are over. The
ultimate result of such a law, as pro-
posed. will mean that the engineer
viii have to find ms own claims or
mines. in the future; no prospector can
accord to prospect any more, even I'M
der present conditions. If there was
such a thing as an information bn-
reau connected with every mining as
to give prospector n chance
10 meet the mining engineer at a dis
.ance with his ores and description of
lis claims, 1t would help some to keep
he prospector in the hills. As it is,
he is like a lost sheep even If he has
/ prospective mine.
WHERE ARE THE ENGINEERS?
There is a lot of capital to develop
,rospects-where? Engineers the
world over are securing the districts
With fine tooth comb for miners, we
ire told. Please name them. The
ruth OF 1t all Is that mining as a
whole 10 in a chaotic condition with