The Deseret News recently printed a letter to the editor titled "Sierra lies about mining laws," written by C.H. Phillips of Sandy. I was very disappointed, both with the tone of Phillips' letter, as well as with your choice of a title.
If Phillips charges were true, i.e., that our assertions about the Mining Law of 1872 are "distortions and lies" and (worse still) "despicable lies," then reforming the Mining Law of 1872 would merely be an act of wearing a belt with suspenders.In other words, the Sierra Club would be in the position of calling for changes to a law that has already been subject to those very same changes. It's hard to imagine what it is about such an effort that causes Phillips such "emotional pain and anger" unless he claims to be one of the original drafters of this antiquated law and thus feels a certain pride of authorship.
One suspects, however, that what gnaws at Phillips is the sneaking suspicion that we may be right . . . as indeed we are.
He claims that patenting (or gaining private title) to public land under the mining law is not permitted.
Tell that to Frank Melluzzo of Phoenix. According to a story from the Arizona Republic reprinted in the Nov. 8, 1992, issue of the Deseret News, he purchased 61 acres of public land under Section 37 of the old Mining Law for $155. He then turned around and sold it to the Pointe Hilton Hotel for a $6 million share in that enterprise when it was built on his claim.
You don't have to take it from me that it's just plain wrong for this to be allowed under the law. Melluzzo himself is quoted as saying, "the government is selling the land, (and) they aren't making any money off it . . . I would favor that the government would retain ownership of the land."
We agree. That is one of the reasons the Sierra Club supports reform of the Mining Law of 1872. Ending these abuses is simply the right thing to do. If Phillips disagrees, I would only ask that in the future he express his opinions without resorting to personal attacks and name-calling.
Lawson LeGate
Southwest regional representative
Sierra Club