The Wallace miner. [volume] (Wallace, Idaho) 1907-current, 1922-05-18
HEARING BEGINS ON REVISION
OF MINING LAWS.

The house committee on mines anC
mining began the hearing on the pro.
posed bill revising the mining laws on
April 27, when w. r. ingalls,, chairman
of the committee which is responsible,
for the bill, discussed the measure il
much detail. AS was to he expected
he defended all of the radical provis
IONS albeit most of these have been
shown during the past few months to
be Objectionable to the mining industry
missionaries sent out by mining as
sociations of various states and by the
American Mining congress, as well as
the attitude of the press in mining
states, clearly indicate that the bill as
whole is unacceptable; that there is
especially widespread opposition to the
proposal to permit holding claims with
out mineral discovery; to making new
locations conform to the public sur
veys; to requiring mining engineer to
validate claims; to permitting the pay
ment of cash in lieu of actual labor for
annual assessment work. and to re
curing locators of claims to record
them in the United States land office
These and other features of the bill
have been almost universally con-
demned.
On the most important provisions /
the repeal Of the apex law, which the |
committee appears to be more inter
ested in putting through than any 9th
en- there is unQuestionably a division |
OF opinion, but so far as been deter
mined by questonanires, newspapers
mining organizations and other chan
nels, the majority sentiment is against
the repeal. In spite of this showing OF
sentiment. Mr.. Ingalls, said to the com
mittee:
Il am satisfied. and 1 think ev-
cry member OF the committee is
satisfied that the mining industry
wants an abolition of the law of
ton of discovery as a prerequisite !
to location, that il wants to pre-
serve as much of the existing laws
as is possible. and beyond that
think that everybody in the mining u
industry wants to have a revised v
law that will conform to conditions /.
of mining as they will be in the .,
future, and as we can foresee
them"
Evidently Mr.. Ingalls, and his com
mittee have not kept in touch with ID
what has been going on in the mining q
sections of the west since this revision ut
bill was given to the public for other ell
wise he would hardly have made this p'
broad statement particularly with ref III
erence to the apex law Surely his Si
committee will concede that Columbia an
section of the American Institute of pa
Mining and Metalurgical engineers I'm
a not unimportant part o. &c
he mining industry The institute 'e INT
he largest mining organization, is 'n'
including the technical In
mining professions and others engaged be
n practical mining and metallurgical iro
perations This organization issues ant
publication called Mining and Metal tina
nrgy, of which Mr.. ingalls, himself is pre-
eputed to be one of the editors. Sure. Inc
Y, then. when Columbia section of the the
lstitute, representing the northwest OF
IN states. declares its attitude toward tic'
he revision bill. Mr.. Ingalls, especially wa
lust admit that it represents to SOM Iid'
Xtent sentiment in the mining indus anc
". 1t so happens that Columbia sec clai
on is on record. a fact Mr.. Ingalls, I
ther does not know or has forgotten mu
ormal resolutions. prepared by the exp
lost prominent and successful mine pro
oerators and engineers in the north ord
est adopted by Columbia section had the
lis to say on the proposal to repeal den
lie apex law: Ere
with regard to the abolition of tih'
extralateral rights your committee que
finds itself unable to report an am,
unanimous conclusion. Most OF us e.,.
admit that for new country the
square location With vertical boun- carr
daries is preferable, although GER ton
tain members of wide experience stat
and large interests hold the oppo- D., .,
site view. AS to whether at this
late date it is desirable to change alto
the law, we are still more divided" In f
This is equivalent to a declaration cash