The Wallace miner. [volume] (Wallace, Idaho) 1907-current, 1917-03-29
THURSDAY, MARCH %, 1917. NO..


alton of the state, and from that date
down to the present the mining in
dustry has been the greatest single
factor in the development and settle
ment of the state 1t contributes to-
day more to the material prosperity OF
the people than any other industry and
with anything approaching fair and
decent treatment at the hands of the
state government 1t would expand to
Ia point that would practically make a
home market for the products of the
soil and ranges of the state. AS
shown above, the value of the mineral
product has already reached three
quarters of billion dollars, and in
spite of the antagonism of the state
that enormous sum at the rate of $780,
900 900 year. But these figures do
not impress the demagogue in the
state house, who approves of no meas
ure unless by doing so he can streng-
then the political machine through
which he retains strange hold upon
the state If the bills for the crea-
ton of a bureau Of mines and geology,
for cooperation with the federal bu-
,reau of mines, and for the mainten-
ance of the office of inspector of mines
had carried with them provision for
appointment by the governor a host of
democratic job hunters, Governor
Alexander would have easily dis
covered that the state was ripe" for
these appropriations and he would
have given every one his approval.
The action of the governor null
flies all the work that has been done
to make the state university the center
Of mineral research work, not only for
Idaho. but for the entire northwest.
The work has already been started
with the expectation that the state
would do it's share, but the veto of the
governor leaves the situation just as
lit in the beginning. The university
has no funds except the voluntary con-
tribution by Occur d'Alene mining
companies, which is not sufficient to
carry on the work longer than the
coming summer.
Is in greater need of bureau Of
mines and geology than Idaho.
There are vast areas of the state that
give every evidence of being rich in
mineral resources, but which are re-
mote and difficult of access De-
finite and dependable information re-
garding the mineral character of these
sections, such as would be furnished
By bureau of mines and geology
would make showing that would
prove attractive to large capital and
result in development enterprises that
would be followed by transportation
lines, thus opening large sections to
settlement and ultimately close the
gap that has long divided the northern
and southern sections of the state.
Development and settlement will re-
suit in tonnage, and tonnage will bring
railroads. The establishment of a
bureau of mines and geology would
be in direct line with the accomplish
nents of these results, and the fact !
that Governor Alexander deliberately |
vetoed the bill creating such a bureau |
proves the absolute insincerity of his !
advocacy of a north and south rail-
road. He saw political advantage in
advocating the road and when that
was gained he abandoned it, II he
could have seen political advantage in
approving the bureau of mines bill |,
and others for the benefit of the min
ng industry, he would have signed
hem. The benefit they would have
been to the state through direct en-
'ouragement to the states greatest
industry was matter of no concern
whatever to the governor. ,