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MINING BUREAU ACT.

CHAPTER 679.

An act establishing a state mining bureau, creating the office of state mineralogist, fixing his salary and prescribing his powers and duties; providing for the employment of officers and employees of said bureau, making it the duty of persons in charge of mines, mining operations and quarries to make certain reports, providing for the investigation of mining operations, dealings and transactions and the prosecution for defrauding, swindling and cheating therein, creating a state mining bureau fund for the purpose of carrying out the provisions of this act and repealing an act entitled "An act to provide for the establishment, maintenance, and support of a bureau, to be known as the state mining bureau, and for the appointment and duties of a board of trustees, to be known as the board of trustees of the state mining bureau, who shall have the direction, management and control of said state mining bureau, and to provide for the ap. pointment, duties, and compensation of a state mineralogist, who shall perform the duties of his office under the control, direction and supervision of the board of trustees of the state mining bureau," approved March 23, 1893, and all acts amendatory thereof and supplemental thereto or in conflict herewith.

[Approved June 16, 1913. In effect August 10, 1913.]

The people of the State of California do enact as follows:

SECTION 1. There is hereby created and established a state mining bureau. The chief officer of such bureau shall be the state mineralogist, which office is hereby created.

SEC. 2. It shall be the duty of the governor of the State of California and he is hereby empowered to appoint a citizen and resident of this state, having a practical and scientific knowledge of mining, to the office of state mineralogist. Said state mineralogist shall hold his office at the pleasure of the governor. He shall be a civil executive officer. He shall take and subscribe the same oath of office as other state officers. He shall receive for his services a salary of three hundred dollars ($300) per month, to be paid at the same time and in the same manner as the salaries of other state officers. He shall also receive his necessary traveling expenses when traveling on the business of his office. He shall give bond for the faithful per: formance of his duties in the sum of ten thousand dollars ($10,000), said bond to be approved by the governor of the State of California.

SEC. 3. Said state mineralogist shall employ competent geologists, field assistants, qualified specialists and office employees when necessary in the execution of his plans and operations of the bureau, and fix their compensation. The said employees shall be allowed their necessary traveling expenses when traveling on the business of said department and shall hold office at the pleasure of said state mineralogist.

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SEC. 4. It shall be the duty of said state mineralogist to make, facilitate, and encourage, special studies of the mineral resources and mineral industries of the state. It shall be his duty to collect statistics concerning the occurrence and production of the economically important minerals and the methods pursued in making their valuable constituents available for commercial use; to make a collection of typical geological and mineralogical specimens, especially those of economic and commercial importance, such collection constituting the museum of the state mining bureau; to provide a library of books, reports, drawings, bearing upon the mineral industries, and sciences of mineralogy and geology, and arts of mining and metallurgy, such library constituting the library of the state mining bureau; to make a collection of models, drawings and descriptions of the mechanical appliances used in mining and metallurgical processes; to preserve and so maintain such collections and library as to make them available for reference and examination, and open to public inspection at reasonable hours; to maintain, in effect, a bureau of information concerning the mineral industries of this state, to consist of such collections and library, and to arrange, classify, catalogue, and index the data therein contained, in a manner to make the information available to those desiring it; to issue from time to time such bulletins as he may deem advisable concerning the statistics and technology of the mineral industries of this state.

SEC. 5. It is hereby made the duty of the owner, lessor, lessee, agent, manager or other person in charge of each and every mine, of whatever kind or character, within the state, to forward to the state mineralogist, upon his request, at his office

not later than the thirtieth day of June, in each year, a detailed report upon forms which will be furnished showing the character of the mine, the number of men then employed, the method of working such mine and the general condition thereof, the total mineral production for the past year, and such owner, lessor, lessee, agent, manager or other person in charge of any mine within the state must furnish whatever information relative to such mine as the state mineralogist may from time to time require for the proper discharge of his official duties. Any owner, lessor, lessee, agent, manager or other person in charge of each and every mine, of whatever kind or character within the state, who fails to comply with the above provisions shall be deemed guilty of a misdemeanor.*

SEC. 6. The state mineralogist now performing the duties of the office of state mineralogist shall perform the duties of the office of state mineralogist as in this act provided until the appointment and qualification of his successor as in this act provided.

SEC. 7. The said state mineralogist shall take possession, charge and control of the offices now occupied and used by the board of trustees and state mineralogist and the museum, library and laboratory of the mining bureau located in San Francisco as provided for by a certain act of the legislature approved March 23, 1893, and hereafter referred to in section fourteen hereof, and shall maintain such offices, museum, library and laboratory for the purposes provided in this act.

SEC. 8. Said state mineralogist or qualified assistant shall have full power and authority at any time to enter or examine any and all mines, quarries, wells, mills, reduction works, refining works and other mineral properties or working plants in this state in order to gather data to comply with the provisions of this act.

SEC. 9. The state mineralogist shall make a biennial report to the governor on or before the fifteenth day of September next preceding the regular session of the legislature.

SEC. 10. All moneys received by the state mining bureau or any officer thereof (except such as may be paid to them by the state for disbursement) shall be receipted for by the state mineralogist or other officer authorized by him to act in his place and at least once a month accounted for by him to the state controller and paid into the state treasury to the credit of a fund which is hereby created and designated "State Mining Bureau Fund." All moneys now in the possession of the state mining bureau or any officer thereof received from any source whatsoever, shall be immediately paid over to the state mineralogist and by him accounted for to the controller and paid into the state treasury to the credit of said fund. Said fund shall be used and is hereby appropriated for the use of said bureau in carrying out the purposes of this act.

SEC. 11. The said state mineralogist is hereby authorized and empowered to receive on behalf of this state, for the use and benefit of the state mining bureau, gifts, bequests, devices and legacies of real or other property and to use the same in accordance with the wishes of the donors, and if no instructions are given by said donors, to manage, use, and dispose of the gifts and bequests and legacies for the best interests of said state mining bureau and in such manner as he may deem proper.

SEC. 12. The state mineralogist may whenever he deems it advisable, prepare a special collection of ores and minerals of California to be sent to or used at any world's fair or exposition in order to display the mineral wealth of the state.

SEC. 13. The state mineralogist is hereby empowered to fix a price upon and to dispose of to the public, at such price, any and all publications of the state mining bureau, including reports, bulletins, maps, registers or other publications; such price shall approximate the cost of publication and distribution. Any and all sums derived from such disposition, or from gifts or bequests made, as herein before provided must be accounted for by said state mineralogist and turned over to the state treasurer to be credited to the mining bureau fund as provided for in section ten. He is also empowered to furnish without cost to public libraries the publications of the bureau, and to exchange publications with other geological surveys and scientific societies, etc.

SEC. 14. The state mineralogist provided for by this act shall be the successor in interest of the board of trustees of the state mining bureau, and the state mineralogist, under and by virtue of that certain act, entitled "An act to provide for

*Sec. 19 of the Penal Code of California provides: "Except in cases where a different punishment is prescribed by this code, every offense declared to be a misdemeanor is punishable by imprisonment in a county jail not exceeding six months, or by a fine not exceeding five hundred dollars, or by both."

the establishment, maintenance, and support of a bureau, to be known as the state mining bureau, and for the appointment and duties of a board of trustees, to be known as the board of trustees of the state mining bureau, who shall have the direction, management, and control of said state mining bureau, and to provide for the appointment, duties, and compensation of a state mineralogist, who shall perform the duties of his office under the control, direction and supervision of the board of trustees of the state mining bureau," approved March 23, 1893, and all books, papers, documents, personal property, records, and property of every kind and description obtained or possessed, or held or controlled by the said board of trustees of the said state mining bureau, and the state mineralogist, and the clerks and employees thereof, under the provisions of said act of March 23, 1893, or any act supplemental thereto or amendatory thereof, shall immediately be turned over and delivered to the said state mineralogist herein provided for, who shall have charge and control thereof.

SEC. 15. That certain act entitled "An act to provide for the establishment, maintenance, and support of a bureau, to be known as the state mining bureau, and for the appointment and duties of a board of trustees, to be known as the board of trustees of the state mining bureau, and to provide for the appointment, duties and compensation of a state mineralogist, who shall perform the duties of his office under the control, direction, and supervision of the board of trustees of the state mining bureau," approved March 23, 1893, together with all acts amendatory thereof and supplemental thereto and all acts in conflict herewith are hereby repealed.

DEPARTMENT OF PETROLEUM AND GAS.

CHAPTER 718.

An act establishing and creating a department of the state mining bureau for the protection of the natural resources of petroleum and gas from waste and destruction through improper operations in production; providing for the appointment of a state oil and gas supervisor; prescribing his duties and powers; fixing his compensation; providing for the appointment of deputies and employees; providing for their duties and compensation; providing for the inspection of petroleum and gas wells; requiring all persons operating petroleum and gas wells to make certain reports; providing procedure for arbitration of departmental rulings; creating a fund for the purposes of the act; providing for assessment of charges to be paid by operators and providing for the collection thereof; and making an appropriation for the purposes of this act.

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The people of the state of California do enact as follows:

Establishment of department. Appointment of supervisor.

SECTION 1. A separate department of the state mining bureau is hereby established and created to be known as the department of petroleum and gas. Such department shall be under the general jurisdiction of the state mineralogist. He shall appoint a supervisor who shall be a competent engineer or geologist experienced in the development and production of petroleum and who shall be designated the "state oil and gas supervisor," and whose term of office shall be four years from and after the date of his appointment.

Appointment of assistants. Compensation.

SEC. 2. For his services in the general supervision of said department, the state mineralogist shall receive as compensation one thousand four hundred dollars annually which shall be in addition to his compensation fixed in section two of the act of June 16, 1913, relating to the state mining bureau. The secretary of the state mining bureau shall receive for his services in connection with the department of petroleum and gas, a sum not to exceed six hundred dollars annually, which sum shall be in addition to his compensation paid from the funds of the state mining bureau.

The supervisor shall receive an annual salary of six thousand dollars, and shall be allowed his necessary traveling expenses. The state mineralogist may, at the

request of the state oil and gas supervisor, and subject to the civil service laws of the state, appoint one chief clerk at a salary of not to exceed one thousand eight hundred dollars annually; twelve office assistants or stenographers each at a salary not to exceed one thousand two hundred dollars annually; four geological draughtsmen each at a salary not to exceed one thousand five hundred dollars annually; four petroleum engineers each at a salary not to exceed two thousand four hundred dollars annually; twelve inspectors each at a salary not to exceed one thousand eight hundred dollars annually.

The additional salary herein authorized to be paid to the state mineralogist and the secretary of the state mining bureau and the salaries of the supervisor and of the deputies, clerks, stenographers, assistants and other employees shall be paid out of the funds hereinafter provided for at the times and in the manner that salaries of other state officers and employees are paid.

Duties of supervisor.

SEC. 3. It shall be the duty of the state oil and gas supervisor so to supervise the drilling, operation and maintenance and abandonment of petroleum or gas wells in the State of California, as to prevent, as far as possible, damage to undergraund petroleum and gas deposits from infiltrating water and other causes and loss of petroleum and natural gas.

Appointment of deputies and attorney.

SEC. 4. It shall be the duty of the state oil and gas supervisor to appoint one chief deputy and five field deputies, one for each of the districts hereinafter provided for and prescribe their duties and fix their compensation, which shall not exceed four thousand dollars per annum for the chief deputy and not to exceed three thousand six hundred dollars per annum for each field deputy. Such deputies shall serve during the pleasure of the supervisor. He shall also employ an attorney at a compensation not exceeding three thousand dollars per year, payable out of said fund, who shall also be attorney for each district board of commissioners; such commissioners may allow additional compensation to such attorney in actual litigation. The supervisor, the deputies and the attorney shall not be subject to the civil service act.

Duties of deputies.

SEC. 5. Each deputy appointed by the supervisor shall be a competent engineer or geologist, experienced in the development and production of petroleum. At the time said deputy is appointed, notice of such appointment shall be transmitted in writing to the board of commissioners of the district for which said deputy is appointed. Said notice shall be given either personally or by mailing a notice of said appointment to the post-office address of each commissioner. No appointment shall be final until a period of ten days shall have elapsed from the mailing of said notice to said commissioners. In the event the majority of the commissioners notify said oil and gas supervisor in writing before the expiration of ten days from the date of said notice that the appointment of said field deputy is disapproved by them, then and in that event said field deputy shall not be appointed but said oil and gas supervisor must appoint some other individual as in this section provided. Each field deputy shall maintain an office in the district for which he is appointed, convenient of access to the petroleum and gas operators therein. The office shall be open and the deputy shall be present at certain specified times which shall be posted at such office.

SEC. 6. It shall be the duty of each deputy, to collect all necessary information regarding the oil wells in the district, with a view to determining the presence and source of water in the oil sand, and to make all maps and other accessories necessary to determine the presence and source of water in the oil sands. This work shall be done with the view to advising the operators as to the best means of protecting the oil and gas sands, and with a view to aiding the supervisor in ordering tests or repair work at wells. All such data shall be kept on file in the office of the deputy oil and gas supervisor of the respective district.

Records and their use.

SEC. 7. The records of any and all operators, when filed with the deputy supervisor as hereinafter provided, shall be open to inspection to those authorized in writing by such operators, to the state officers, and to the board of commissioners hereinafter provided for. Such records shall in no case other than those hereinafter and in this section provided, be available as evidence in court proceedings and no officer or employee or member of any board of commissioners shall be allowed to give testimony as to the contents of said records, except at such court proceedings as are hereinafter provided for in the review of the decision of the state oil and gas supervisor, or a board of commissioners, or in any proceedings initiated for the enforcement of an order of the supervisor, or any proceeding initiated for the enforcement of a lien created by this act, or any proceeding for the collection of the assessment levied under and pursuant to the provisions of this act or in criminal proceedings arising out of such records, or the statements upon which they are based.

Orders by supervisor. Agents of operators.

SEC. 8. It shall be the duty of the supervisor to order such tests or remedial work as in his judgment are necessary to protect the petroleum and gas deposits from damage by underground water, to the best interests of the neighboring property owners, and the public at large.

The order shall be in written form, signed by the supervisor, and shall be served upon the owner of the well, or the local agent appointed by such owner, either personally or by mailing a copy of said order to the post-office address given at the time the local agent is designated, or if no such local agent has been designated, by mailing a copy of said order to the last known post-office address of said owner, or if the owner be unknown by posting a copy of said order in a conspicuous place upon the property, and publishing the same in some newspaper of general circulation throughout the county in which said well is located, once a week for two successive weeks.

Said order shall specify the condition sought to be remedied and the work necessary to protect such deposits from damage from underground waters. For this purpose each operator or owner shall designate an agent, giving his post-office address, who resides within the county where the well or wells are located, upon whom all orders and notices provided for in this act may be served.

Rejection of supervisor's orders, and appeal.

SEC. 9. The well owner or his local agent may within ten days from the date of service of any order from the supervisor, file with the supervisor or his deputy in the district where the property is located, a statement that the supervisor's order is not acceptable and that appeal from said order is taken to the board of commissioners. Such appeal shall operate as a stay of any order issued under or pursuant to the provisions of this act.

Districts, commissioners, election, recall.

SEC. 10. For the purposes of this act the state shall be divided into five districts, as follows:

District No. 1, including the counties of Los Angeles, Riverside, Orange, San Diego, Imperial and San Bernardino.

District No. 2, the county of Ventura.

District No. 3, including the counties of Santa Barbara, San Luis Obispo, Monterey, Santa Cruz, San Benito, Santa Clara, Contra Costa, San Mateo, Alameda and San Francisco.

District No. 4, including the counties of Tulare, Inyo and Kern.

District No. 5, including the counties of Fresno, Madera, Kings, Mono, Mariposa, Merced and all other counties in California not included in any of said other districts. There shall be elected at the times and in the manner hereinafter provided, district oil and gas commissioners for each such district, as follows:

For district number one, five; for district number two, five; for district number three, five; for district number four, seven; for district number five, five.

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