Daily Arizona silver belt., 1909-06-03
CONGRESS DENOTES s400,000 FOR
 SURVEYS
ANNUAL SUM APPORTIoNED FOR THIRTEEN WESTERN STATES
 AND TERRITORIES
SETTLERS GIVEN PREFERENCE
INFORMATION OF INTEREST TO APPLICANTS FOR SURVEYS
 OF PUBLIC LANDS

It IS matter Of general interest to prospective applicants for the survey of public lands that congress annually | appropriates the sum of $i00, ,000.00 for the survey and resurvey of the public lands of the United States, which sum is apportioned among thirteen western states and territories according to the requirements of these respective dis tricts.
 Under existing law, the expenditure of the annual appropriation for public surveys is restricted, first, to lands oc- cupied in whole or in part by actual set tiers on the public domain, and, second, to lands adapted to agriculture. It will therefore be seen that the apph- cations of actual bona fide settlers, will be given preference in the matter of authorizing the surveys of town ships, payable from this regular annual appropriation, and that applications by persons not regularly residing on their claims, such as desert land claimants, for the survey of public lands includ- ing their claims will receive considera- tion only after the demands of actual settlers on other lands have been rec ognized, and provided the fund annual ly apportioned for each district has not been exhausted.
 In making application for the survey of public lands, the applicant should carefully determine, as near as praeti. cable, the approximate section, town ship and range in which his claim is located and he should describe in de tail all improvements which he has made on his claim.
 In order to secure the survey of full township and the quickest possible action by this office in award ng contract, it would be advisable for the applicant to have two or more other setlers who aie living within the same township make similar applications for survey, the government preterring to survey all the agricultural land and grazing land in a township under one contract. However, the application of one actual bona fde resident in a township, where there are no other set tiers, will be sufficient to secure tine survey of twelve sections of that town. ship; and the applications of two such resident settlers will secure the survey of twenty-tour sections, in order to include their claims.
 Pubic land surveys, payable from the regular annual appropriation, are made without cost to the settler, the govern ment paying all expenses in connection herewith.
 | All applications for the survey of public lands are examined in the field by an agent of the government, appoint ad for that purpose, in order to deter mine the good faith, actual residence, etc., of the applicant. If such field ex- animation develops the fact that the settlers claim is not located in the township stated in his application, he should immediately file a new applica- tion, properly describing the location of his claim therein. It therefore be- hooves the applicant to be on the look out for the special agent and ascertain from him whether his application has been correctly executed.
 Surveys of homestead entries within the limits of national forests are execu- ted under the jurisdiction of the sur veyor general at the expense of the claimant, in accordance with the pro visions of the act of congress approved June II, 1906.
 Further instructions relative to the method of procedure in the matter of securing the survey of the public lands will be eheerfully given in reply to communications requesting specific in- | formation.
 FRANK s. INGALLS,,
 U. s. Surveyor General. Phoenix, Arizona.