Show MINING convention ECHOES contributed by dan maguire E MJ M among those in attendance at the inter national mining congress at butte on the first of the month were delegates from montana idaho washington south dakota nevada utah new mexico new york minnesota illinois texas california district of columbia missouri and old mexico the largest delegations outside of montana coming from forn utah idaho and south dakota the average daily attendance during the session being about outside of the reading of papers the chief work done was the passing of resolutions condemi condensing Dg the kearns apex bill now before congress the next transaction of importance being the changing of the name of the mining congress to the american mining minina 11 congress which is to attain legal existence by being incorporated into ari an association the charter members of which shall pay an initiation fee of 55 5 with annual dues amounting to 2 each by the payment of 50 the applicant is entitled to life membership it was held that the old organization was without government self support and that no effective effort was being made to look after the interests of our mining and mineral resources and that no substantial work had been done for the mining I 1 industry by the old association from its first inception and largely because of the fact that it was composed largely of those who had no fixed membership but who came together yearly through appointment by governors of states mayors of cities or presidents dents of mining companies such delegates often not being min mining men who perchance will never meet again in the capacity of delegates to the congress the third act of the congress was to pass pasa resolutions favoring the establishment of a department of mines and minerals at washington D C similar in its scope to the de apartment part ment of agriculture and with its own chief and corps of assistants its field of labor from the remote headlands of northern alaska to the philippines back to the sandwich Is lands islands and from san francisco to new york tatting taking in all of the united states as well as porto rico and the isle of pines A vote was taken upon the present bill in congress to repeal the apex law the majority vote being against the bill it is indeed hard to understand why in a gathering of this kind the old apex law as it now stands 1 should find supporters and that its retention should be the pole polestar star of every poor miner and prospector in our intermountain country when thirty years trial has baa proven it to be the endless source of dispute and litigation teeming as it does with every phase of ras bality duplicity treachery and crime from 5 tombstone to butte it has been the cause of innumerable costly law suits the ruin of fortunes and the downfall a and ad death of some of the brightest members ot the mining fraternity it s obsolete a relic of barbarism and should be repealed for the good of I 1 the mining industry and for the benefit of posterity in making the choice for the place for the holding of the next session of the congress the e apple fell to the lot of deadwood and lead city south dakota whose very large delegation entitled this state to the honor the city of butte deserves the thanks of oi every delegate for favors and courtesies shown the mining and smelting smelling sm elting companies of butte took particular care of the delegates and ahr threw ew open their mines and reduction works for their inspection the railway lines to anaconda furnished free transportation to the entire congress in order that its members might visit the great washoe copper reduction works newly opened at ana conda and the street car companies of butte gave free transfer to columbia gardens where a concert was given in honor of the cites guest by local bands the splendid maderal exhibits at the gardens were open to all and the state school of mines located at butte threw open its doors to the delegates and their friends in ina a word no other city or mining camp ever treated its guests more hospitably and with more courtesy and goodwill wi ill than that which characterized the city of butte on this occasion in return for which the congress passed a vote of thanks addressed to the officials of the municipality mine owners and residents the chief benefits accruing from this session of the mining congress might be summed up in the bearing which its deliberations will doubtless have as voicing the sentiment of the mining minina 11 men of the country upon the establishment of a national department of mines and mining and while the attendance was not as ad large as could have been desired much good was undoubtedly accomplished the next session which convenes in september 1903 gives promise of being largely attended ogden utah |