Santa Fe new Mexican. [volume] (Santa Fe, N.M.) 1898-1951, 1909-07-23
MAKES A FAVOR.
ABLE REPORT
Surveyor Generals
Office Shows Big
Increase
LAckcOMPETEN1 SURVEYORS
The Contract System is a
Serious Handicap Prevent.
ing Possible Progress.


ing June 30. 1909, of the United States
surveyor general for the district of
New Mexico with headquarters at
Santa Fe has been completed and has
been forwarded by Surveyor General
John w. March to the commissioner
of the general land Office at Washing
ton, d. {. The Office has made
most gratifying showing having done
fully twice the amount of business Of
any preceding year. The official sur
veys of ninety-two mineral locations
were approved and orders were issued
for the survey of twenty-one locations
the returns Of which have not yet
been filed. The sum of $1,000 was
deposited on account of Office work
in connection with official mineral
surveys and $1,956.62 was expended.
Small Holding Claims.
Five thousand and forty-four small
holding claims were filed in the Office
during the year, approximately 1,400
filings having been, leaving about
$500 filings to be surveyed There
are from one to ten tracts embraced
in each application and these tracts
number approximately $500
At present there are applications for
the survey of 32 whole or fractional
townships pending action by the chief
of field division or by the forest Off
nj al nfron nt,
for the survey of all townships au-
thorized with the exception Of two
townships.
The clerical force of the Office has
handled all business in most eff
cient and up-to-date manner. The
drafting division during the year
turned out 127 township plats as
against 81 of the preceding year.
The surveyor general calls attention
to the Washington department to the
fact that there is outstanding approx
imately $4,000 due from claimants of
private land claims who have failed
to make deposits on account of sur
veying, plating, etc. Action is recon-
mended to enforce payments Of the
various amounts.
Recommends Change.
Attention of the department is also
called to the disadvantage of the pres
ent contract system of awarding or
ders for surveys. The surveyor gen.
eral states that it is always very diff
ficult to secure men to take the work
who are competent. This causes any
amount of delay and greatly handi-
caps the office. Reference Is made to
the fact that last December the de-
partment sent Examiner H. V. Nye
and two assistants to help out the
local Office in making surveys. Nye
accomplished large amount of work
in reasonably short time and when
the notes were filed it was shown that
the cost of surveying averaged 1856
while the cost of surveying under the
present contract system at the legal
rates per mile is estimated at an
average cost of Sc per mile, the cost
of the examination in the field not in
cluded
The surveyor general in referring
to this matter states. Taking into
consideration the delays incident to
advertising for bids, the letting of
contracts, examinations in the field,
the return of deputies to the field for
corrections, to say nothing of the
character of the work done, the above
statements all tend to show the ad.
visibility of change in the present
system and ] would respectfully rec
ommend such action by Congress as
will permit the appointment of U. S.
; surveyors at such salaries as to war
rant the interest of competent men
to be placed under the direction of
the commissioner of the general land
Office"
i The surveyor general has ordered
made an official survey No. 1886 Of
the Tusas Peak Mill Site in the Bro.
mide mining district in Rio Arriba
4 county. The application was made BY
| Attorney r. H, Hanna for the Tusas
Peak Gold and Copper Mining Com
pany. The survey will be made by
lJ. H. Walker.
l y