The weekly Alaska citizen., 1918-12-16
MINE MEETING
 LAST EVENING
 WE'LL ATTENDED

At . very enthusiastic meeting of the local chapter of the American Mining congress held last evening at the Bureau of Mines building the first step in reconstruction and de. velopment work for the mining of the Interior was taken.
 After the reading and acceptance of the minutes of the last meeting the committee which had been previously appointed to investigate handed in their report which was read to the meeting by the chairman. The report which will be published in detail a soon as space permits pointed out the difficulties in the way of the prospector. calling for an ex- pansioA of tho work of the Bureau of Mines that educational and mater. ial aid might be rendered to the In view of the fact that there Is no s1m available for such . purpose 1t was suggested that 1t be recommended to the American Mining congress that . bill be pre- sented to congress asking for the appropriation of fifty thousand dol lars annually for each division of Alaska to be spent under the direc, ton of tho secretary of the interior. The prospector receiving aid would have to sign an agreement. promis. ing to pay to the government a small percentage of their gross production until the government was reimbursed and . small tax annually for the pur- pose of creating a fund to be used in the promoting of prospecting. It was recommended that a small per cent of gross production be paid by those who. as the result of the after aid by the government. find pay within a specified radius placed at five miles for placer and one mile for quartz of the discovery. The money taken in from such claims to go into the general fund for the car rying out of the project
 Under the plan the Bureau of Mines would maintain in residence such competent technical men as they might deem necessary to assist ths propector in his choice of locations; to determine the amount and kind of assistance to be rendered; to- su. pervise his employment of such as. sistance and to see that it Is used to the best advantage; and otherwise to insure the carrying out of the provisions of such an act for the best interests of the mining industry of Alaska. MT. Davis pointed out that the title of the technical man would probably be Mining Engineer" which would include that of government geologist."
 An informal meeting was opened for the discussion of the report. After some remarks on the size of the ap- to be asked for the was changed from fifty thou. sand to one hundred thousand and embodied in the report. The fifty thousand was considered too small for the purpose. AS the regular ses. sion reconvened the committee con- sisting of E. B. Collins. Sylvester Howell and James A. Haney were given . vote of thanks for the ex- cellent investigation work done. That the matter might be put before the American Mining congress in a defin. ite form it was decided that the same committee continue their. work and with the aid of some of the lead. ing attorneys of the city. who had offered their services. make a draft of bill to be presented at a special to be held two weeks from this evening. Saturday. Dec. 2S.
 A committee of five. Messrs. J. A. Davis. Howell, Roth. Zimmerman and Haney. was appointed to look into the matter of the feasibility of build. ing e hydro.electric plant OH the Ne mana river to supply cheap power to the mining industry of the inter. for. It was pointed out that the question of power was the most seri. ous that the miner had to face and that 1t must be brot down consider. ably to make mining a success. It Is claimed that electric power Is not only cheaper than coal but much more convenient.
 The subject of roads and trails was mentioned but considered of such great importance and of such vast detail that a whole evening will be devoted to it in the near future.