The copper era., 1909-06-03
Information of Interest to Applicants for
 the Survey of Public Lands.

the Survey of Public Lands.
 It is matter of general interest to prospective applicants for the survey of public lands that Congress annual ly appropriates the sum of S400, ,0O0.0 .00 for the survey and resurvey of the public lands of the United States, which sum is apportioned among thirteen western states and terri tories according to the requirements of these respective districts.
 Under existing law, the expendi- ture of the annual appropriation for public surveys is restricted, first, to lands occupied in whole or in part by actual settlers on the public domain, and, second, to lands adapted to agriculture. It will therefore be seen that the applications of actual bona fide settlers will be given preference in the matter of authorizing the sur veys of townships, payable from this regular annual appropriation, and that applications by persons not actually residing on their claims, such as desert land claimants, for the survey of public lands including their claims will receive consideration only after the demands of actual settlers on other lands have been recognized, and provided the fund annually ap- portioned for each district has not been exhausted.
 Ia making application for the sur vey of public lands, the applicant should carefully determine, as near as practicable, the approximate sec tion, township, and range in which his claim is located and he should describe in detail all improvements which he has made on his claim.
 In order to secure the survey of a full township and the quickest possi- ble action by this office in awarding a contract, it would be advisable for the applicant to have two or more other settlers who are living within the same township make similar ap- plications for survey, the Government preferring to survey all the agricul- tural and grazing land in a township under one contract. However, the application of one actual bona ide resident in township, where there are no other settlers, will be sufficient to secure the survey of twelve sec tions of that township; and the ap- plications of two such resident set tiers will secure the survey of twenty four sections, in order to include their claims.
 Public land surveys, payable from the regular annual appropriation, are made without cost to the settler, the Government paying all expenses in connection therewith.
 All applications for the survey of public lands are examined in the field by an agent of the Government, ap- pointed for that purpose, in order to determine the good faith, actual re- sidence, etc., of the applicant. If such field examination develops the fact that the settlers claim is not located in the township stated in his application, he should immediately file new application, properly des- cribing the location of his claim therein. It therefore behooves the the applicant to be on the lookout for the special agent and ascertain from him whether his application has been correctly executed.
 Surveys of homestead entries with in the limits of National Forests are executed under the jurisdiction of the eyor-General, at the expense of the claimant, in accordance with the provisions of the Act of of Con- gress approved June Il, 1906.
 Further instructions relative to the method of procedure in the matter of securing the survey of the public lands will be cheerfully given in reply to communications requesting specific information.
 Frank s. Ingalls, U. S. Survey General Phoenix, Arizona.