The Nome nugget., 1950-11-29
DOOM FOR PROSPECTORS; SMALL OPERATORS

m der discussion by Department of Interior officials for some time In it's Sunday issue of November 19 the Los Angeles Times printed a facsimile of memoran- dunn upon the head of which appeared the legend, UNITED STATES, DEPARTMENT OF THE INTE- RIOR" Bureau of Land Management Portland Is, Ore- gon." There followed the word CONFIDENTIAL and the statement WHETHER THIS MEMORANDUM NOR THE INFORMATION TT CONTAINS IS TO BE MADE AVAILABLE TO THE PUBLIC" It ad- dressed to Division Chiefs and all field officers, from the Regional Administrator, and it's subject was Amendment of the Mining Laws.
 A reading of the proposed amendments which fol- lowed furnished ample evidence of the DepartmentS S desire keep the public from knowing t it's plans to further dominate the mining industry and hamstring the prospector.
 In it's story exposing this departmental conspiracy the Los Angeles Times said in part A prophetic warning of the attempt being made by the Interior Department to get control of mining in the West sounded Tn June 1949 by Senator Malone of Nevada. He was talk ing at the time about the extension of the government moratorium mining claim assessment work. 1.-The h. terior Department is continually pressing to get control of mining areas Senator Malone said One of these days will in with bill that will do just this By coincidence the proposed changes disclosed by the Times being considered by regional heads of Sec retarv Chapmans Bureau of Land Management at that very moment It is understood that the secret sugges tons have been discussed within the confines of the de- partment since then
 The Times properly does not disclose the identity of its informant but quotes him as saying: 1.-The Taylor Grazing Act is being used to tighten the grip of the h. teror Department mining affairs Land set aside under the grazing act is administered under such ditons that prospector is classified immediately trespasser By having both administrations - mining and grazing the Interior Departments rule it is possible to to gain domination the other
 Last week we ran an excerpt from attcle from the pen of Herbert Hoover in which he lamented the tragic decline of mining in the West and the fact that the pros pector and small operator had been practically driven from the field by government restrictions regulations and taxation We should like to hear what this great mining authority would have to say about this effort to reduce that valiant of prospectors and small operators still remaining to the vanishing point
 That the prospector would be doomed under the sug gested revsions certainty Combine with that threat the effort to tighten control the 12O000000 of land either under the control subject to the control of the Taylor Grazing Act and the prospector doubly doomed
 Down the drain also will go the small operator who could not meet the requirements of the law from financial standpoint.
 The only possible explanation for such revision is the unsuitable lust for power which characterzes the Interior Department in connection with every industry over which it holds any measures of authority.
 The Los Angeles Times is to be complimented for rendering distinct public service in unearthing the facts and making them known to the mining industry