Montana oil and mining journal. [volume] (Great Falls, Mont.) 1931-1953, 1937-08-14
President Trauernlan
Reviews Years ork

Creation Of a Department of Mines,
similar to that Of Canada, to handle
the welfare Of the mining industry in
the United States was proposed by
/ Carl j. Trauerman in his annual re-
port as PRECEDENT of the Mining AsSo-
citation Of Montana at the Virginia
City meeting.
He said, in part:
| At this time it is my pleasure and
duty to render my annual report Gov
ering the activities of this organization
since our last annual meeting, wnicn
was held in Butte on July II and IL,
/ 1885, The year has been rather busy
one for the association. We have many
problems yet to be solved, these prob
/ lens being both national and local;
A great many Of our national prob
/ lens are submitted to the American
Mining congress, which has its head
quarters in Washington, D.. c. tunc-
lions mainly to see that the mining
industry receives a fair deal from the
/ lawmakers and administrators in the
nations capital. Each fall the Amer
lean Mining congress holds a meeting
for its western division, last years
meeting being held in Denver during
the latter part of September and Oc-
tOber.
/ At the Denver meeting the members
of this association, aided by Montanans,
| Inc took a very conspicuous part
several of our members being on the
! speakers program, and on important
committees where their Recommended
lions were needed and engroSSed in
the final resolutions OF the convention.
! Our exhibition of minerals was I'M
surpassed, especially the gold. nuggets,
a great many of which came from this
vicinity. With two uniformed police
men guarding these nuggets day ana
night, the exhibition was really the
/ show spot of the convention. In addi-
| ton to that, over 5000 pamphlets were
/ printed and given away, covering the
past production OF future poSSlolntleS
! of the mineral resources Of Montana.
Salt Lake Meeting
I From Sept. z to IL this year the
! American Mining congress VIII nold
the 1897 convention in Salt Lake CITY
and all of you are cordially invited
/ to attend According to the preliminary
program, the members of this aSsocia-
ton will take an even greater part IN
the Salt Lake meeting than gney old
at the Denver gathering, Whlch SPEAKS
well for the power and prestige OF the
Mining Association Of Montana, Wnlcn,
although only three years old, STANDS
I &C high or higher than any other state
mining organization. Montana men Will
address the Salt Lake meeting on SUD
iects such as taxation, mine-to- marKeg
roads, mine ventilation ana the e1Iecy
Of the national securities and exchange
laws on mine financing.
Legislative Matters
In January of this year we neld our
biennial legislative meeting IN Helena
and much good was accomplished, Jhe
meeting ending with a huge banquet,
attended nearly by all members OF our
IegislatlIre and high state officials.
Certain individual members of our leg
islatllre. with all good ntentlons, m
troduced four bills, all OF which would
have been detrimental 70 the opera-
tions of our present mining properties
and the bringing in of new capltal 10
open new ventures, which give en-
pioynent to our miners and others ano
hello sell the products that supply man
tTfacturers and farmers produce. AND
right here 1 might state that tne
miners, as class, use more farm aIlc
grazing products than any other In
dllstry. The legislators at Helena
listened attentively and intelligently. x
the arguments put forth by the mining
J Industry. Three Of the bills died, prac'
: tically in committee, and the fourth
was vetoed.
1 out Of this came a bill authorizing
the governor to appoint q coLni t,so5.
2AAAAON~y N4--~S~~N~-
oughly and present its findings TO I'M
1899 legislature.
I SEC Regulations
Members of your organization alS'
J took a prominent part in the annua
convention Of the Northwest M1n1ni
association, held in Spokane IN Tn
early part of December, 1886. AT TIN
meeting one OF the prnclpal ti ll
discussed was the new mining Iorn
put out by the securities and exchang
Commission to help finance primar
mining ventures under the federal Sc
clIrities act of 1888. The SEC sent 1t
head mining engineer and two otne
high officials and the American MIN
ing congress sent one OF its nlgn OF
ficials. These men met with nortnWes
s mining men and tinanclers ana
II were in session nearly one whole nigh
e and nearly one whole day. We prop
i ablv ACCOMPLISHED something IN sim
e plifving the registration OF mlnln
n securities, but little in the matter {
d making them saleable after they WeI
registered. Therefore, one OF our OF
IS problems is to try to modify the la
" so that meritoriouS primary mining Sc
.. clIrities can be made legitimately sale
l. able and new mines can be develope
IS as the old mines are exhausted.
)e talked on this subject at the DenVe
meeting of the American Mining con
n gress and am to talk on 1t again |
"a salt Lake on the afternoon Of Sept.
l. RFC LOAN
S. Quite a number of Reconstructo
h Finance corporation loans have bee
pr granted to mining companies IN MOI
k. tana. the largest one being granted
a company in Virginia City. That loa
has been repaid as has another lare
Montana one granted to a compan
operating north of Helena. Your q
ae sociation had a great deal to do wit
vs the granting of loans to mining con
G. panies, in fact Montana originated u
rs idea and fought for 1t since 1S5
NJ through the efforts Of men who a.
ut now officers Of this organization.
pa The idea OF having governnlel
rs agencies build roads to mining CAM
also originated in Montana, by Office
of this organization I was IN Wasi
= inqton in April and at that time w
told that the Department OF the lnte
or Tor. which had been the principal q
"a iector to our roads program, nao WY
rysf This tTTOFIlHbfl