The Wallace miner. [volume] (Wallace, Idaho) 1907-current, 1917-09-13
There Is Still Chance That Congress
Suspend Assessment Law During War

Torrance of annual assessment work
during the year 1917, upon condition
that each claimant shall file in the
office of the proper county recorder on
or before December 81, 1917, notice Of
his intention to claim the benefits Of
the measure
Upon further consideration Of the
matter, I am inclined to favor the
resolution as proposed by the house
committee on mines and mining. 1t
is more simple and will be easier to
administer than would the senate res
olution."
Taylor Explains the Bill.
Representative Taylor, of Colorado,
who is in charge of the bill in the
house, comments on the need Of the
legislation as follows:
1.-THE committee received a number
of urgent requests from various min
ing sections of the western states
urging congress to suspend the oper-
alton of the annual assessment law
during the war. or at least during this
year. This appeal came from nearly
all portions Of the mining regions Of
the west, and was very urgently ask
ed for throughout Alaska. These re-
quests are based principally upon the
grounds:
First. On account of scarcity Of
labor, and the actual inability to pro-
cure men to do this years assessment
work.
Second. Because great many
lprospectors and miners have enlisted
in the army and navy and many 9TH
ers are being drafted.
Third Because mining develop
ment, especially in the way of pros
lpetcing and new discoveries, is prac-
tically at standstill at the present
time, and the exceeding high cost Of
powder, steel and other materials,
makes assessment work almost pro-
| hibitive
Fourth. Because approximately 80
per cent of all the assessment work
done Is virtually dead work; that as
sessment work does not bring about
practical development; and during
these times it is looked upon as I'M
reasonable and wrong to require any
useless, or unproductive expenditure
of either labor, money or materials
and that wasted energy in any direc-
ton should not be required in these
war times.
During times of peace annual as
sessment work on mining claims per-
forms beneficial service in prevent
ing mining ground from being held
| for speculative purposes and has the
merit of occasionally leading to i'm
portant mineral discoveries. Annual
assessment work also provides labor
and livelihood to a small but de-
serving class of pioneer people. But
it is thoroughly we'll known through
out the mining sections Of the west
that to very large extent annual as
sessment work is to all practical ex-
tents and purposes an economical loss
and utter waste of money, labor and
material.
"The general custom for many
yeasr throughout many Of the mini
ing sections of the west has been to
estimate mining work at SO foot
in sinking shafts or driving tunnels,
and that the extension of tunnel of
the ordinary size 10 feet or the sink
ing of shaft 10 feet is an expendi-
iture Of 800 in assessment work; and
when that work is done ana that ex-
penditure is made and an affidavit
thereof filed that holds the claim for
another year. But it Is only in rare
cases where that small amount of ex-
tension work ever actually brings
about any useful development or the
opening up Of NINE"