The Wallace miner. [volume] (Wallace, Idaho) 1907-current, 1921-06-23
Thursday June %, 1921
PROPOSED REVISION OF THE
MINING LAWS.


found proposed bill providing for
the complete revision and codihca-
ton Of the United States mining laws.
1t is of course a measure of the high
est Importance to the people of the
mining states and for that reason all
who are interested in mining should
begin now to give the bill careful
study in order to be prepared to pre-
sent their views on the bill when it is
presented to congress for considera-
ton. The bill in its present form is
the result of long and careful study
and investigation. by a committee
composed of noted mining engineers,
and whether we agree with the draft
they have prepared or not they are
entitled to much credit for the time
and effort they have devoted to the
work. That the mining laws should
be revised and codifed is a matter
upon which there is no division of
opinion, but it is probable that wide
differences may develop regarding the
changes that should be made.
The proposed law doubles the size
OF claims. making a fun claim 40
acres. and requires all lode locations
to conform to the public land sur
vey. 1t abolishes extralateral rights.
giving the claim owner the right to
all mineral deposits within the verti-
cal planes of the boundary lines ex-
tended downward. 1t permits the To-
cation of mining claims without first
having made a mineral discovery
but requires a discovery before
patent can be secured. 1t requires an
expenditure of So per acre annually in
lieu of the flat rate of 500. making
the assessment work 5000 per year on
a fun claim and on fractional claims
the expenditure will depend upon the
number of acres 1t also provides
that the annual expenditure may be
made either in labor and improve
ments on the claim or the cash may |
be paid into the United States land !
office fof tine district in which the !
claim is situated. The proposed law
also makes provision for operating
mining companies to acquire large
areas for the purpose of dumping
This provision is for the
purpose of preserving the tailings
which usually contain values which
through improvement in metallurgical
Methods may subsequently be recov-
red. This provision applies only TO
urface rights and those who take
dvantage Of it acquire no right to
Underlying mineral deposits. The !
roposed bill covers all mineral de
osits in whatever form but does not
pply to coal, oil and other deposits
nat are now covered in the federal
asing laws.
These are some of the salient feat
res of the proposed law, and it does .
ot require a prophet to foresee that
me of them are going to encounter
UGH opposition. Probably the pro
sion abonshing extralateral rights ~
i'll be the subject of chief contro- j.,
.rsy. Indeed this controversy has ri
EN- going on for years in the press -
ID through this bill it win soon be i,
ansferred to congress- and the final %
ton taken there VIII settle the o..
estion for all time. Aside from the ii,
tual merits of the present apex S.,
", it viii be urged that since all 81,
ming claims now in existence were ,,
.ated and are held subject to it's so
DIVISIONS and can not be deprived me-
their extralateral rights. the en- eff
lment of law abonshing extra nm
eral rights would have little effect %,
ward accomplishing the purpose its a.
)nsors have in view, namely the on,
svention of long and costly litga- oh
n. In fact. it has been pointed out SIN
n considerable force that to abol- Pc,
the apex law at this late date nri
uld add confusion to the situation Nh
her than simplify it. an,
n providing for doubling the size an,
mining claims the trainers of the TO
evidently anticipated the adop- an'