Show TO ANNUL assessment WORK according to press dispatches congressman bartlett of nevada proposes presenting a bill when congress convenes which if adopted will do away with the performance of annual assessment work on mining claims for the year 1907 there is no doubt but that mr bartlett is honest in his intentions and believes that such a measure would be beneficial to the mining industry of his state and of the west but it is quite evident that he takes the present financial condition of the country too seriously and that he is of the opinion that people are as badly off now as they were in 1893 when a similar bill was passed by congress there ts is i s no doubt but that such a measure if passed would benefit a few but these few as a general rule would be those who could better afford to do their assessment work than could the average mining man and prospector almost to a unit the nevada press is opposed to the proposed measure and in other states and territories in the west it is meeting with but little favor it is now near the close of the year and the genuine prospector and miner as a rule have performed the work necessary to hold their locations for another twelve months it is the nonresident non resident as a general thing who holds back until almost the last moment before beginning the work required and this class would be to a great extent the sole beneficiary of the proposed measure to pass one year of assessment work would be to lose one year of development and operation on a great many properties it would withdraw froni from general circulation a large amount of money it would deprive a large army of mining men of the employment which they sorely need and drive from the country many men who would have to look for profitable employment in other occupations we believe the proposition to be ill advised and premature to pass such a measure would be to acknowledge the fact that mining conditions in the west were at a low ebb and it would be a notice to the world that the mining industry of the country had deteriorated to such an extent that owners of claims could not afford to expend in doing annual assessment work as required by law As a matter of fact such a condition does not exist and as a general rule the mining camps of the west are in a position to take care of all of their obligations without any assistance from congress or the passage of any measure such as that proposed by congressman bartlett |