Arizona republican., 1914-07-18
SELECTIONS OF LAND
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being carefully checked to ascertain if each legal subdivision described is un- appropriated, the lands claimed by the state are noted on the plat and tract books and the lists" forwarded to Washington. There they start through the different divisions. for the purpose Of asCertaining, from the reclamation service. whether any of the lands are claimed by the government for recla- mation or power projects; from the geological survey. whether they are more valuable for mineral than for az riculture; from the division of contests, whether there are any adverse claims, and from the field division, whether for any reason. ascertainable by a field ex- animation, the states application for all or any part of a list should be dis allowed. They also pass through other divisions to determine whether all of the legal requirements have been com piled with.
 In the event of conflicting claims, which frequently occur, in spite of ev- cry effort on the part of the state land commission to avoid them. the state is notified. and until such claims are ad- justed the list affected is held up. The prompt adjustment of such claims has been greatly expedited by the commits sion. which immediately upon the re- Ceipt of information of a conflict, in- vestigates the case. and where the claim is valid. or the legal or moral equities of the claimant appear to have been in any way infringed by the state, a relinquishment is at once filed. This has the effect both of restoring the ad- verse claimants rights and, in the ab sence of other conflicts clearing the states list for further consideration and approval.
 In the meantime, the detail of keep ing an accurate record of selections, in the office of the state land commission, is hv no means inconsderable Each grant constitutes a separate account, each list a separate entry, and each legal subdivision a separate item. Thereafter each item must be carried step by step, to the final point of ap proval or rejection notice of pub lication of all selections is required by the department, and these notices must contain no errors. even of the most in- significant character-otherwise an entire list may be held up indefinitely. Affidavits of publication must be filed, failure to do which would invalidate a selection. Not only is it necessary for the commission to keep a careful check upon and record of these routine steps, but each requirement of the general land office with respect to conflicts, the commissions action thereon and the departments decision must be not ed. as well-if it is possible to secure the information-of whatever cause may be delaying the approval of a list.
 When list is finally approved, and the approval. or patent containing a legal description of the various tracts included in the approval, is received hy the commission, it is checked against the commissions records item by item. for any stray discrepancies on either side. These are frequently found as is natural in such a mass of de- scriptions, and then a search begins to find the source and to straighten the error out If not given immediate at Nentluu, they Cuulu pIoDdDiy never De found. and might result in endless diff faculties in the final adjustment of the states claims.
 Ordinarily. from fifteen to twenty four months is required in which to secure approval of state selection lists. but Arizona s excellent system has resulted in approvals in considerably jess than year from the date of filing Chairman Mulford Winsor, who rec ently devoted some time to acquiring first-hand information of the details of this work from the general land office standpoint, not only received many compliments on the excellence of the Arizona lists but gained an education which he thinks will result in the se- curing of patents in a much shorter time than heretofore-in fact seven oI eight months from the date of filing.
 lt has been the practice of other