The Wallace miner. [volume] (Wallace, Idaho) 1907-current, 1919-09-11
NATIONAL HIGHWAYS
AND MINING INDUSTRY
SYSTEM SHOULD INCLUDE MOVE.
.. MENT MINE PRODUCTS AND
81. SUPPLIES.
Engineering and Mining Journal.)

line HdllOHdl CildIiiUeT VI COIlHlcICc
because it has been strongly advo-
eating national highway system,
calls attention to Senate Bill 1909,
also introduced into the House, for
the establishment Of national high
way systemsand creation Of Federal
Highway commission.
To one point in the chamber Of COM
merce report we take exception. It
state that the national needs are "for
interstate commerce. agriculture, post
al delivery, common defense, and gen.
eral welfare" Our exception is to the
omission Of the needs of mining OPP
erations, for they are as pressing as
are any others.
Perhaps 1t is because of the small
amount of direct revenue which
mines yield to the states that their
transportation requirements are gen.
orally overlooked by county and state
authorities.
Many prospect in the west has
not been developed because of lack of
roads, and many small mine is small
because no wagon or truck road
reaches it. Throughout the western
states small mine in an isolated To-
cality must shift foi itself until it
becomes a rather large producer of
ore or consumer Of freight. Then
county officials take notice, and
wagon road is built in time to take
out the mill when it has passed into
the condition of scrap.
The B. C. Way.
In British Columbia they do things
differently Just as soon as the pros
pector in the north has shown enough
to warrant his building a cabin for
himself up comes the surveyor and
pack trail is cleared out. Then, as
soon as there is any real evidence of
a commercial quantity of ore being
developed, the provincial authorities
either build or assist in building
road
Our mines are a national not
state industry, and any national sys-
TEN of highways should provide for
not only for the benefit of
moving agricultural products but for
the movement and development of
wealth. A striking example
Of this necessity came to light in 1918,
when it was found that the west pos
sessed rather extensive chrome de-
posits, but owners We're unable to
move their ore because of it's distance
from good roads The same was true
to a greater or less extent with man.
sanese.
We heartily approve of national
system, but we insist that
he movement Of mine products is as
as the movement of agricul-
.ural products.
Technical Men Needed.
In the bill as drawn the commits
sion is to be made up of three men,
,ers elected from different geogaph-
cal sections of the country, mot
more than two to be of the same pol
tical party" 1t would have been
better had it read, mot one of whom |
should be of any political party"
1t is intimated that the three &c.
100 commissioners are to be non
technical men, who are to have au-
hority to appoint a chief engineer.
This undertaking, If brought to frui-
ion, will be one of strictly technical
character and though recognizing that
Engineers must be employed for lay
ng out and doing the work, the spirit
# the bill does not recognize that the
commission should itself be made up
f men already skilled in the science
nd practice of engineering. Perhaps
bill could not be passed wherein the
est salaries were paid to men who
Understood the work they were called
pom to perform, but 1t strikes us
hat the committee of the chamber of
ommerce, active in the campaign for
ational highways legislation, is Of
uch caliber that it must see and
now the Importance of placing this
'ork in the most competent hands
hands of engineers.