Arizona republican., 1916-05-14
Reform Of the Minina Laws

VI sNS HiTfhy LdWS
At meeting Of the New York Sec
ton OF the Mining and Metallurgical
Society OF America at the Engineers
Clup. New York. Apr 10, construc-
Tive program for the amendment OF
the present mining laws Of the United
States was considered The meeting
was we'll attended Tile subjoined MEM
orandnrr. was introduced.
The following Is an onillne OF the
ui1in provisions recorded az necessary
fol the Improvement of the United
States mlneral-land law 1t is intended
! 20 give. not the precise legal phrase
ology to b. used, hut the objects TO
be secured: and It Is understood that
in the proposed legislation all existing
ot vested Lights. shan be recognized
| apd also that all provisions OF the
PRESENT United States statutes and de-
partnent regulations not conflicting
with the new statute shall remain in
fun .orce, unaffected thereby. This
Includes Section 2,3l9 of the Revised
Statutes. Declaring all valuable min
eral deposits In lands belonging to the
United States to be free and open to
exploration and purchase. ard the
lands in which they are found TO oc-
crpation and purchase. etc
| The now legislation proposed IL TO
secure the following principal changes
The subway OF The public land
to be completed as soon as possible
and all surveyed lands 20 be classified
Is nineral or nonnineral according
TO the meaning OF these terms now es-
tablishee by the United States statute
or judicial decisions: such classified
ton. officially announced to be finat
until subsequently changed by the
government and no such subsequent
change 10 affect the rights OF loca
, tion under. the former classification
Lands thus designated as mineral I,
. be. open to the location of rninera
? lelaims only and lands designated a
non mineral not to be open to the 10
cation OF mineral claims.
II Mineral claims hereafter 10
r Gated to nc $50 fl. square-that Is. /
Q acres in size and square in form
v with Boundaries running y and S an
2 E'and W. such claims. when locate
ions of the surveyed sections.
I tNote--This area is about the sam
r as that of the 300xi. SCOTT. claims {
e Colorado. The location would be. {
9 course. subjec; &c all prior rights, SUI
y face on underground; and in many di.
'e tricts. claims already located ma
: leave orly remnants Of area not sui
n able in, size or shape for separate Il
20 cations. In such cases the practi,
" HOW authorized BY the Supreme Cou
rs of establishing imaginary bounda
!" ies'-that is. of claiming the full ar,
OF claim and then disclaiminp Il
III parts of that area already occupied
Ot would be followed. II such a locati,
Il has no extralateral rights, it will eau
w no special trouble The purpose
ne this provision, is. so far as exist,
n rights do not prevent, to make miner
es claims as easy to define as agric,
IL turnl ones.
nj III. Any number of claims TO be
20 Gated by one person or associatio
A. and upon lands already surveyed a
ne officially classified rs mineral. the a
en- tua' discovery OF a valuable depo
NJ no, TO We necessary to a valid loo
u' ton. Existing regulations concerni
ne the marking. notice and record OF
cation to be continued with the a
dt'ohai requirement that within 0
year after the date of location rect
eo thereof shall be made in the Uni,
OF states Land Office Of the land d
'as trig;.
'e' ~. Tie present requirement OF S
annual work upon each claim, to
amended by providing that 500
claim may be paid annually into
vi United States Land Office in lieu
the performance Of such work. A D
~ son or association holding group
ian contignoes claims to be permitted