Custer weekly chronicle. [volume] (Custer City, S.D.) 1890-1931, 1897-11-20
Falacy OF our Mining Law.

The Commissioner Of the General
Land Office has just promulgated two
opinions regarding assessment work on
mining claims, and amount Of work nee
essary to secure patent, that are of con-
siderable importance to mining men in
this country, says the Mining and
Scienrtnc rress. Referring TO assess
ment worb on claims that are contigu-
Gus and held in common, Commissioned
Hermann holds:
While the annual assessment work
required for the maintenance of posses
sion under section 1924 United States
Revised Statutes may be placed on one
Of a number OF contiguous mining loca-
tions held in common and constituting
one entire claim, yet the amount ex
pended must equal 500 annually for
each of the locations so held and work
ed in common"
The General Land office has ruled
that $500 in work or improvement WAS
all that was necessary on q group of
contiguous claims in common owner
ship to secure patent thereon. though
the opinion has very generally been ex
pressed that, before securing a patent,
it must be shown TO the satisfaction Of
the local Office that work had been done
amounting in the aggregate to $500 on
each claim in the group. On this point
the commissioner sffirms former
ruling. where he says;
"The conclusion is apparent that an
expenditure Of $500 on one or more Of
several contiguous mining locations en-
braced in one application for patent is
sufficient if made for the convenience of
working or developing all Of the claims
included. This must conclusively ap.
pear, however"
This is very liberal construction,
again authoritatively determines an
important point, as the rulings of that
official have all the force of law-at
least, during the administration that
appointed him.
to spend $1,000 annualiy unuer I'll
above rulings. but Can get a patent an
forever dispense with the necessity {
any further similar work upon paymeu
Of $500. Any one, however, proposin
to take advantage of this should care
fully note that it must he conclusivel
shown and made satisfactorily appea
to the local officials and the commits
sioner that such expenditure Of $50
upon one of such contiguous claims wa
for the purpose Of developing and con
veniently working all of the claim
included in the application for patent.
II may be said in general that it i
the constant policy of purpose of tn
federal government to make il as cas-,
as possible for the miner to secure gov
ernment patent"
1t occurs to us that there is a radica
Inconsistency in this law. Fer instanc
a prospector who owns FIVE claims, (il
a group is compelled to perform $50
worth of assessment work each year I,
hold them, while the strong, wealth,
company with lots of capital can tax,
up so claims in one group and by doin,
$500 worth Of work is allowed to paten
the tract, because it can afford to pa,
the surveyor and other expenses. w,
think there should be a limit to tn,
number of claims that can be located
just as there is limit to the agriculture
locations. A law that will permit on,
individual or syndicate to take up grea
tracts of valuable land, do little worl
on it. and deprive a number of men wh'
would honest development work, is no
just law.-Pioneer-Times.