Evening star., 1928-12-05
MINE EXECUTIVES
EYE LEGISLATION
Leaders in Industry Convene
Here for Opening of An
nuaI Convention.

With the eyes Of leaders In the min
ing industry focused on pending tariff
and taxation legislation, the American
Mining Congress opened its thirty-flrst
annual convention at the Mayflower
Hotel at noon today to consider vital
| problems affecting the industry and its
widely interallied interests.
Government officials, members of
Congress and leaders in the various
branches Of the mining industry were
scheduled to deliver addresses on the
various phases of domestic and interna-
tional mining activity. Upward of 500
delegates, including official delegates
appointed by the governors OF several
States, are expected to register before
| the convention closes Saturday.
Following luncheon meeting at
which Secretary of Labor James j.
Davis was expected as the principal
guest, the formal business sessions of
the convention were to be opened by
President ]. G.. Bradley of Dundon
w. Va, who is president of the Elk
River Coal & Lumber Co. This session
will be devoted to international mining
| discussions under the leadership of Mr.
Bradley.
Mining legislation is expected to play
an important part in the sessions of
the convention, at which attention will
Congress affecting the industry as a
whole. These will be outlined to the
delegates by leaders of the Senate and
House as we'll as spokeSmen for the
American Mining Congress.
The joint congressional committee on
internal revenue taxation Is about to
consider the application of the per-
centage principle in determining mine
depletion, a question of utmost impor-
tance to the industry. Should tax re-
vision bill be considered at the short
session, the depletion question would be
taken up Otherwise the change in the
law would await the time when Con-
gresS again revises the tax law. Con-
sequently, leaders in the American Min
ing Congress are keeping in close touch
with the situation on Capitol Hill and
will be in conference with members OF
the mining committees of both houses
as we'll as those which are dealing with
the tariff and taxation programs.
Pending tariff proposals of particular
interest to the mining delegates will be
discussed during the session.
With these matters pending, the
tariff and taxation discussions promise
to be among the most important during
the convention.
AT the afternoon session Mr.. Bradley
is speaking on the work of the Ameri-
can Mining Congress as clearing
house for mining; j. w. Furness. chief
of the minerals division of the Bureau
of Foreign and Domestic Commerce, on
the flow of minerals In world trade, and
ATanrirQY1
commercial attache to Buenos Aires,
on mining in Argentina.
Convention Committee Named.
The first business of the convention
was the appointment by the board OF
governors of its manufacturers divi-
sion of a committee to decide the time
and place for the next annual conven-
ton of practical coal operating officials
and national exposition OF mining
equipment and machinery.
Attending the convention are official
delegations appointed by Cows. Donahey
of Ohio, Adams of Colorado, Balzer of
Nevada, Fisher of Pennsylvania and
Graves of Alabama.
Among the delegates representing
other mining and metal societies at
tending the convention are Prof. Louis
Fl. Cook Of Washington, delegate OF the
American Society of Mechanical Engi-
neers; Director George Otis Smith and
II. I. Smith of the United States
Geological Survey and w. M. Corse OF
Washington, representing the American
Institute of Mining and Metallurgical
Engineers; H. D. Miser Of the Geologi-
cal Survey, for the American ASsocia-
ton of Petroleum Biologists, and N. @.
Hough and w. v. Brumbaugh Of Wash.
ington, representing the National Lime
Association.
Reports Are Made.
Reports on the mining industry were
made at a luncheon rendered the dele
gates this afternoon as follows:
A. G. Mackenzie, Salt Lake City; ].
D. Conover, Miami, Okla; w. E. E.
Koepler, Bluefield, w. Va; G. Chester
Brown, San Francisco; j. D. Zook, Chi
cago: c. Lorimer Colburn, Denver: DR..
E. H. Wells, Socorro, N. M; H. N.
Eavenson, Pittsburgh; E. w. Parker,
Philadelphia; Henry G. Rives, Reno,
and Stephen S. Tuthill, New York.
One of the most important sessions
of the convention is scheduled tomor-
row when conditions in the coal indus
try and proposed legislation affecting
it will be considered from many angles
Reduction of the number of surplus
mines, which has created a serious situ-
alton in competition, likewise is a mat
ter which undoubtedly will be given
prime consideration by the experts OF
the industry.