The Ketchikan miner., 1907-11-16

Locators of mining claims should read the foregoing law carefully, in order that they may be fully informed as to it's requirements.
 Regarding the new law entitled "An act to amend the laws governing labor or improvements upon mining claims in Alaska" to which the atten- tion of ex-officio recorders throughout Alaska was called by Attorney Gener- al Bonaparte. months ago, Sur l veyor General Distin has ruled that a locator must file with the recorder To- cated in the district in which the claim is situated an affidavit showing 1 that the required annual labor expen- diture has been made and the char ! acter and extent of the work. At the request of those interested the law is republished. The act was approved March ?, 1907.
 "Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representative in Congress assembled, That during each year and until patent has been issued therefor, at least one hundred dollars worth of labor shall be performed or improve ments made on or for the benefit or development of, in accordance with ex- isting law, each mining claim in the district of Alaska heretofore or here after located. And the locator or owner of such claim or some other person having knowledge of the facts E av also maks and file with the said recorder ot the district in which the claims shall be situate an affidavit showing the performance of labor or making of improvements to the amount of one hundred dollars.as aforesaid and specifying the character and extent of such work. Such affidavit shall set forth the following: First, the name or number of the mining claims and where situated; second, the number of days work done and the character and value oi the improvements placed thereon: third, the date of the perfor- nance of such la"or and of making improvements: fourth, at whose in- stance the work was done or the inn provements made; fifth, the actual amount paid for work and by whom paid when the same was not done by the owner. Such affidavit shall be prima facie evidence of the performance of such work or making of such improvements, but if such affidavits be not filed within the time fixed by this Act the burden of proof shall be upon the claimant to estab- fish the performance of such annual work and Improvements. And upon failure of the locator or owner of any such claim to comply with the provi- sions of this Act, as to performance of work and improvements, such claim shall become forfeited and open to To- cation by others as if no location ol the same had ever been made. The affidavits required hereby may be made before any officer authorized to administer oaths, and the provisions of sections ffty-three hundred and ninety three of the Revised Statutes are hereby extended to such affidavits. Said afidavits shall be filed not later than ninety days after the close of the year in which such work is performed. Section ?. That the recorders of the several divisions or districts of Alas ka shall collect the sum of one dollar and fifty cents as fee for the filing, recording, and indexing said annual proofs of work and improvements for each claim so recorded.
 The ruling made by Surveyor Gen. eraI Distn affects the sentence begin ming, And the locator or owner of such claim or some other person hay ing knowledge of the f,cts may also make and file" The word may
 should be taken as an implied com- mand. The filing with recorder, acordng to the decision of Mir. Distin is essential and must be done,