The Glasgow courier. [volume] (Glasgow, Mont.) 1913-current, 1915-11-05
Ne" No'''c HANp M CONTESTS
Obstacle Placed in Way Of Illegal Contest.
ants. Several Chances,

Obstacle Placed in Way Of Illegal Contest.
ants. Several Changes.
Holders of government homesteads
will be vitality interested in new
ruling just made by the general
land office, copy of which was re-
ceived this week by the Glasgow land
office officials. The new ruling lays
an almost insurmountable obstacle
in the path of illegal contestants to
entries. The ruling is declared TO he
one of the most important changes
made in the rules of practice of the
land Office for several years.
Under the new regulation it will
re necessary for the person bringing
contest against a homestead entry
to accompany his statement of
charges with an affidavit FROM a
witness setting forth the same a]lcg-
ations contained in the contestants S
statement. The witness may be
charged with perjury, together with
the contestant, in case the charges
are found untrue.
Heretofore it was only necessary
for witness to sign the contestants
statement, corrohorating the charges
generally. In this manner it was
practically impossible to bring charges
against the witness in case the con-
testant had perjured himself, because
the loopholes of escape were many.
But under the amendment, witness,
by alleging the same charges in a
separate complaint, would make HIM
self liable to the law in the same de-
grees as the contestant himself. On
the other hand, it is believed the new
ruling will facilitate matters in case
the charges brought by the contestant
are true and the original holder of the
homestead, by noncompliance with
the laws, is entitled to lose his land
The amendment is as follows:
"The statement in the application
must be corroborated by the affidavit
of at least one witness having such
personal knowledge of the facts in re-
lation to the contested entry as. il
proven, will render it subject to can
collation., and these facts must be sci
forth in the affidavit
Accompanying the new contest rul-
ing is another amendment to the rules
of practice designed to give the orig.
inal holder of homestead the right
to defend contest brought against it
after it has been transferred. The
: new regulation provides that hereaft-
er notice of encumbrance and trans
fers must be filed in duplicate at the
local land Office. One notice will be
retained and the other sent to Wash
ington. By this means the original
holder of the homestead is made a
party defendant with the present hold
er in contest proceedings. The
amendment reads:
"Transferees and incumbrancers of
land, the title of which is claimed or
, in process of acquisition under any
public land law, shall, upon notice,
become entitled to receive and be
given the same notice of any contest
or other proceedings thereafter had
affecting such land which is required
to be given the original entryman or
, claimant. Every such notice of a
, transfer or incumbrance must be
forthwith noted upon the records of
the district land Office, where like
notation thereof will be made. There
, after such transferee or incumbrancer,
as well as the entryman, must be made
! party defendant to any proceeding
against the entry"