| Show MINING DEBRIS Getting the aliiarnia Trouble Before CKreu Washington Congressman Page will next Tuesday introduce into the House of Beprenentatives the following self explanatory bill on the subject of mining debris Whereas a contest exists in the courts of the state of California between a portion por-tion of the agricultural community and the mining industry of that state by reason oft a assertion by the miners of the right to work their mines by hydraulic hydrau-lic and other processes which have been continuuusly in use since the discovery of precious metals on the Pacific Coast which rights and use have been sanctioned sanc-tioned by the laws and by common usage during the past thirty years or more and Whereas these rights and common custom are not disputed by the owners of lands in valleys below the mines a large amount of which have been injured by the deposit of tailings or debris from the mines Jand Whereas Large portions of the agricultural agri-cultural lands of said state are in danger of destruction from the results of said hy draulic mining and towcs and cities on the banks of the streams affected by the debris are being destroyed and Whereas The a icultural interests of California the first heat producing state of the Union as well as the labor of our farmers are being destroyed by debris covering up their fields gardens and homes and Whereas The results of thirty years toil are thus imperilled and families and communities threatened with impoverishment impoverish-ment and i Whereas The harbor of San Francisco I Fran-cisco is being shoaled by deposits of mining min-ing debris and it is only a question of time when serious consequences therefrom may impede the national commerce of that important harbor and Whereas the state of California asserts the right to control the rivers of chat state under 4th plea that mining operators opera-tors are damaging them and Whereas the state of California through its legislature some two years ince enacted a law to provide drainage 1 having for its object to cure the evils complained of end Whereas the supreme court of the state has recently decided that the state has no such power thus leaving the contest con-test between the conflicting interests to continue and Whereas this contest which is now pending in the state and Federal courts I involving vast interests and will continue unless remedial measures are taken by the general government which can alone grapple with these issues by instituting insti-tuting a system of public works and I Whereas the present contest if continued i con-tinued will lend to serious results prejudicial preju-dicial in many ways to the best interests of the nation at large and Whereas The Congress of the United States has by various enactments extending ex-tending through u long series of years encouraged and fostered the mining industry in-dustry by a reservation of its mineral lands from eale except for mining purposes pur-poses and also by specially providing for the protection of water rights reservoirs re-servoirs and rights of way for canals for water used in the mines as well AS for the use of timber upon the public lauds for the same purpose and has also charged the miners double the pries for mineral lands that it has charged agriculturists agri-culturists for farming lands and Whereas By reason of such encouragement encourage-ment and fostering influences the mining industry on the Pacific Coast has attained enormous proportions in which industry our citizens have invested their means to the extent of at least 200000000 which investment by leason of the present conflict con-flict is placed in jeopardy and is ut present seriously embarrassed by legal complications and Whereas through the mining industry in California alone not less than s 1 200 000000 in gold has been extracted trom the earth which sustained the nation in if time trouble and Whereas the largest known gold deposit de-posit in the world estimated to contain at least 3000060000 is contained in the auriaerous gravel channel in the state of California which can only be extracted by the modes and usages in operation during the past thirty years and out of which is taken yearly at least 13000000 out of a total gold yearly product of 19000000 and Whereas this yearly product will continue con-tinue for the next 100 years or more if the goldproducing interest is properly protected and cared for by the general government but which is now seriously embarrassed by conflicting interests and Whereas It is believed that a proper system of engineering works not expensive expen-sive when the vast interests at stake are considered can be constructed by the general government without injury to any interest but with benefit to all by which the mines can continue to be worked without detriment to the agricultural agricul-tural interests and thus keep up the yearly supply of gold so essential to our prosperity and Whereas The known gold area which will pay to mine by any known process is quite limited and agricultural area practically unlimited and Whereas The policy of our govern i ment ill i now ant has ba < in to protect ana foster in all ways the production of the precious metals and tne mining indua trip connected therewith and Whereas s It is believed that the settlement settle-ment of grave issues which have erie n in the state of California between tle mining and agricultural interests owing to the physjcal features of that state and the location of the mine is ptculiai y I under the province of the general government gov-ernment which ha reBDad such vast benefits from tho mining intgggts in that state to harmonize these interims itisconfijently sUtid by cu rnot able scientific engineers can be done by the construction of proper works at the expense ex-pense of the general govenment herefore be it enacted by the Senate nstd Hawse of Representatives of tAe anted Stales of Aviericc in Congrcs assembled that j the SUB of 5000 < 0 be and the same are hereby appropriated out of any money of the treasury not otherwise appropriated for the purpose of making such improvements works under the direction and supervision of the secretary of roar as ho my ECO fit for the f i J improvement of the Sacramento Yuba I I iy J a Feather and American Rivers s jd their i 1 tributaries so as to protect them from overflow from the debris and the filling 1 I up of said rivers and for the removal of 1 deposits of debris that now impede the t I R navigation and also to prevent the destruction i de-struction of lands and property adjacent II Ito ito I-to said riversand to protect the harber i I of San Francisco from further injury Ji I from said cause i 1 |
