Show MINE administrations los angeles mining review we touched in an article in last weeks issue upon a subject which is important enough to be treated on its merits the tendency of mine owners to fall fail in discrimination as to the duties capabilities and training of mining engineers tl managers and superintendents it is far too common a thing at this time of mining expansions when men of all classes are going into mining enterprises to see good properties grossly mismanaged simply because principals do not know what qualifications are needed in the administrative part of the business by mining men who know how to conduct mining enterprises who know the duties of their subordinates who know the various processes who can accurately judge results and their relation to costs engineers save for large operations are not constantly needed professional advice may be only required in times of unusual difficulty or when a property is to be purchased to those new to the business and for many years to come there must be many such competent professional advice is almost constantly necessary as a mere matter of protection the knowledge which untrained operators lack must be supplied from somewhere and it may be best looked for from those men who are at or near the head of their profession whose experience is ripe and whose reputation is a guarantee of fair treatment it is erroneously believed by many people that such men charge great fees for small service they do charge heavy fees for important or distant examinations but as a rule they may be retained by the year in a consulting capacity at very reasonable cost usually a fraction of what may bo be saved through their advice as to methods and management in mining as in all other industries it is essential to success tha some responsible person connected with each enterprise shall know how there are companies operating from here made up of men who are at the best of very limited experience and who rely upon formans advice in matters quite beyond his knowledge such companies are courting courtin disaster some of them may pull through by reason of favorable conditions for some mines are good enough to pay under very bad management others will go under A manager may be an engineer or a trained mining man but above all he must be a good business Lu man for the business end of the enterprise is his part of 0 it U if he be simply a good business man he may be very successful so long as he can rely upon safe sound advice as to mining practice from an engineer who serves him in 11 a consulting capacity the managers business is to make his mine pay the highest profit at the least cost and without forgetting for a moment that in mining a mis spent dollar is gone forever ore bodies are definite quantities hidden but incapable of increase A superintendent it if properly so called is the active executive officer of a department or of the whole enterprise he must know how to handle and direct men he must know all the processes of the daily routine and how to meet ordinary emergencies he should not be expected to solve geological or engineering problems for which neither his training nor his work fit him his business is to develop extract and frequently to mill ore in a workmanlike manner and with as few men as PO possible I 1 he generally wants more equipment and earlier in the game than a prudent management will give him for this he is not to be blamed for from the nature of his work daily output is more in his thoughts than ultimate results it is however the fact that many promising enterprises have got into difficulties or wa worse arse through the extravagance trava gance in this respect of superintendents honest well meaning and capable in their own proper department of the business but uncurbed by strong unintelligent management these things are first principles to mine operators of good experience to those who lack such elpe experience fience we suggest that ones employees should not be the master and that advice should be sought always from the highest most authora tive sources |