San Mauricio Mining Company

Title

Language

English

Year

1938

Rights

In Copyright - Educational Use Permitted

Fulltext

tract with the government. Mining operators in the Philippines thus declared that their location and recording of mining claims prior to November 15, 1935, constitute a contract which must be kept by the new government. They base their contention on the fact that in the Act of Congress of July 1, 1902, in the Jones Law, and in the TydingsMcDuffie Act there are provisions to the effect that no law shall be enacted in the Islands which deprive any person of life, liberty, or property without due process of law, and that no law impairing the obligation of contracts shall be enacted. Administrative officials of the Philippine government, however, have seen fit to interpret the provisions of section 68 of Commonwealth Act 137, which governs the acquisition by qualified persons of leases of mineral lands, to apply not only to claims acquired under that act, that is, since November 15, 1935, but also to those acquired under the old law. It has been necessary for owners of "old claims" to institute suits to establish their rights. Several such suits are now pending in the Manila courts, and have been for months-the legal department of the new government is obviously reluctant to make a definite decision. The claim system brought about endless confusion during the Philippine mining boom of 1935 and 1936. Only a small portion of the mineral lands of the Islands have ever been surveyed carefully, and existing records were extremely vague. Claims were frequently located by individuals who were never within miles of their location. In the Paracale district claims were staked three and four deep-at one time the number of claims staked in Camarines Norte was about four times the entire area of the whole province. Most of such claims turned out to be worthless, and were not worth fighting over. In spite of that, however, there are many legal tangles in that region and elsewhere which will be a long time in the untangling. (To be continued) SAN MAURICIO MINING COMP ANY Another new monthly production record was made during May by San Mauricio, with an output of P348,433.44 from 9,527 tons of ore treated. Recovery per ~on averaged P36.57, while extraction was 93.4 % . Development work amounted to 1,019 feet, of which 688 feet were capital and 331 feet operating advance. Of the capital development 157 feet were in ore, as were 209 feet of the operating development. Results of development work were very encouraging. The Tacoma development on the 300 level continues in extremely high grade ore although width are narrower. The Tacoma No. 3 north drift was driven 78 feet during May, with high assays showing from a stringer opened up in the footwall. Crosscut east 1490 north on the 400 level is going ahead at good speed and should cut the Tacoma No. 3 vein about June 15. 14 At the Santa Ana mine all raises are in ore. Stope preparation is well under way on the 300 level. The drainage adit was advanced 136 feet and continues in very bad ground, with 124 feet to go to connect. Stope operations were normal during the month, with a11 stopes in good condition. A large amount of stope preparation is being done. The mine is in very good condition with ore plentiful. The ore bins, pockets, and skips at the main shaft are ready for use. The ore passes and the pocket are being filled preparah>ry to changing over to the central hoisting plant. The installation of Allen Diesel engine No. 5 was completed during the month. Work on the installation of the double drum Hendy hoist was starting at Santa Ana. " Reuben M. Austin, American shift boss, died at his home from heart failure on May 19. THE MARSMAN MAGAZINE .for June, 1988

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