The Glenwood post., 1917-09-22
MINING CONGRESS TRUE
TO MINING INTERESTS

Denver, Sept. 15.-During the past
week circular letters and newspaper
articles have been mailed pretty gen
orally over Colorado, ,making charges
that the American Mining Congress has
deserted the metal mining interests al d
become a coal organization, and at the
same time quoting an alleged letter
from Congressman Taylor intimatns
the congress had been actively oppos-
ing a bill recently introduced in the
lower house authorizing the suspension
of assessment work until the close of
the war. These statements are declared
unqualifiedly false by John T. Burns,
the western secretary of the American
Mining Congress, who is now in Colo
rado completing the organization of a
Colorado Chapter of the National or
ganization.
The author of the misstatements is
seemingly either lamentably misinforal-
ed or else had an object in making the
charges said Mr.. Burns. "The con
gress has been doing all that could be
done to secure attention for Mr.. Tay.
lor's bill, but there has been no great
demand for such legislation because it
appears not to be vital, while is crowd.
ed with matters of grave Importance
in war. We still hope that the bill
will become law. The fact is, that
while the legislation was originated IN
Colorado, there was no actual official
manner of placing Colorado's requests
in concrete form before the congress
Of the United States, because we haze
not had chapter in this state for
several years. This is one of the rea-
sons why the operators are now organ
izing. Hereafter Colorado wilt have
national representation of the practical
character
"The charge that the congress has
been turned over to the coal men is
absurd, and evidently emanates from
some one desiring to hamper the plans
for chapter. The congress now in
eludes in its membership coal, oil, iron
and metalliferous mining, each with a
separate section. The principal work
has been and always must be in behalf
of the metal operators-and this fact
is recognized by all who know anything
of the work of the congress. Mis-
statements, when apparently made
through lack of information, could be
allowed to pass unheeded, but delibcr-
ate falsehoods much be challenged"
Western headquarters for the CON
gress have been opened in Denver, and
from this point Mr.. Burns will cover
the entire west, directing a general
revival Of the American Mining Con
gress in the states where mining is an
important industry. The greatest single
achievement of the congress was the
establishment of the Bureau of Mines,
which was secured after years of insis-
tent effort. 1t is now starting a move.
ment to secure a department of mines
with cabinet head and bureaus repce-
senting each phase of mining opera ton.
At the national headquarters in Wash
ington, James F. Callbreath, a well
known Colorado man, is in charge of
the permanent bureaus and legislative
work, and much constructive work in
behalf of the mining industry of the
nation has resulted from the combined
efforts of the metal, coal, oil and iron
operators working for a common cause.
Colorado seems destined TO lead m
this work, as fifteen leading operators,
representing almost every camp in the
state, have signed the call for revival
of the Mining Congress in this section.
and the new western secretary is we'll
known westerner, having been for many
years the secretary of the Colorado
State Commercial association, later for
six years the secretary of the Inter.
national Dry Farming Congress, and at
one time an active newspaper man in
Colorado Springs.