The Wallace miner. [volume] (Wallace, Idaho) 1907-current, 1921-05-05
Thursday May s, 1921
OPPOSE FURTHER SUSPENSION
OF ASSESSMENT WORK.

Senator King, Of Utah. has intro
duced a bin suspending assessment
work on mining claims for the years
1920 and 1921 OF course, the senator
must have some evidence of senti-
ment in favor Of the bin, or he would
not have introduced it, but it is not
believed that there is any demand
for this repeal among the men who
are representative of the mining in
dustry who desire to encourage the
development of new mines and to
promote the prosperity of the people
of the mining sections of the west
While the country was at war it was
right that this work should be sus-
pended as there was an actual short
age of men, prices were high and
above all the government required
that all efforts be confined to pro-
ductive industry in order to help win
the war The year following the arm
istce conditions were the same as
during the war, so far as labor short
age and high costs were concerned,
and the suspension of the assessment
law was justified in that year. But
since that year there has been no
valid reason for suspending the as
sessment law
Last year the great majority of the
claim owners performed their annual
assessment work, but toward the
close Of the year it was found that
considerable number had failed to do
so. Confronted with bad weather
and limited time, agitation was start
Ell for suspension of the assessment
law for that year Vigorous protest
was made by those who had perform
ed their work. with the result that at
the eleventh hour compromise res
olution was passed by congress ex
tending the time in which to do as
sessment work for 1920 until July 1.
1927. Now, when there is a little less
than two months in which to do the
work. the resolution offered by Sena-
tor King would relieve the claim own
ers of the work for both 1920 and
1921. 1t is not fair to claim owners
who have gone ahead and performed
their work in good faith, and it has
the appearance of making joke out
of a law that is designed to be a pro-
lection to the legitimate prospector
and miner and also to the govern
ment itself in preventing mineral land
being held indefinitely without ex-
for its development
There is another strong reason why ..
The mining interests of the west ..
should oppose any further suspension g.
or the assessment law A committee s,
IF mining engineers is now engaged -
n preparing revision OF the mining
avs and the bill will probably be in ISL.
reduced in the present session of &c
congress. 1t has been proposed 10y
.ome Of those interested in the rovi- .,
lion that the provision of the law re- ID,
Iurng 500 worth OF work annually .
m all mining claims be repealed, and ,,
hat in it's place claim owners be re- u,
uired to pay 500 in cash annually 81,
n each claim to the receiver of the fl,
and Office in the land district in nd
.hich the claims are located and No.,
hat this money be used in the con- D..
truction of trails and roads within f.,
he land district There are many OBJ
sctions to this plan. the first one of r..
hich is that a great many claim .o,
wners represent their own claims ,.
nd could not make the cash payment of
$ proposed. Another is that assess
ent work is a matter of considerable DO.
Importance in the development of mi ,s,
ng ground. particularly on large tbs
cups of claims where the work can
concentrated in one place. and its
.rformance always tends to encour- O.
re development the most important o
ctor in the life of all mining dis
lets. Another is that the expendi- "
re of this assessment money is n
after of much Importance TO bust Ct
IS men in mining districts, as it @
cans in the aggregate a large pur- tres
ase Of mining supplies. These are flee