Show NEW lAN S BILL INDORSED R f Legislation Would Permit Patent Without Surface Proof of Minerals WASHINGTON D. D c. c Feb Feb 3 Pending legislation to permit patents patents pat pat- t tb acre cre tracts of land con con- taming minerals at depth without showing a mineral mineal discovery as required required re- re by t the e present law but requiring ro- ro quiring with ith other otiler provisions pro pro- visions of the mining laws has been Indorsed by tile the American Mining COngress Lewis Lwis Douglas or of Arizona is the author ot of the tue legislation which has passed the house and Is pending before before be- be fore the senate public lands corn com In Indorsing the bili bil at a before the on behalf of the Ule Mining con con- gress K V. v I chief ot of Its is mineral land division said tile the leg leg- would revive and stimulate and handicaps Which have ilave been created by the homestead laws under which prospectors pros pros- have been excluded from large areas area Mr said The present law requires actual diScovery of minerals In place In Ill order ordel to prove a patent for a lode claim caim This law was sufficient sO 80 long as discoverIes were made ot of outcrops on the tue surface nut But mines are no longer In this manner They are now located and nd discovered at unheard i ot e ieti i in locations where her th the il l c- c ctt of tt tile l could be expected only as the resul of underground tion ton which disclosed geological IndIcations In- In that pointed to tile the cx- cx of ore are bodies fly By scientific ot of now being developed it i will wf be possible to locate lo- lo cate bodies odies ot of minerals at depths which would discovery r as do- do fined by our present laws Impossible sible sibie and yet et no flO prospector or operator op- op would be justified In raising tile the funds and Incurring tile the expense necessary to open up a body of ore at great dept below the surface except under legal provisions which woud Insure him the ownership of that ore re body when finally devel- devel ope Mr 11 Kreigh stated that members of the American Milling congress have urged legislation ot of this character char char- chal- chal acter for several years ears and that It has received no to the bill bi |