The Sun. [volume] (Price, Utah) 1915-1932, 1920-12-03

Relief under the mineral land leas-
ing bill, which will open for oil pros
pccting thirty-five thousand acres Of
land in Utah, thought to be some Of
the best for oil in the state, is being
sought by a large number of appli-
cants, among whom is the Standard
Oil company, according TO Ralph S.
Kelley, chief Of the field division of
the United States land office for
Idaho and Utah. Most of the land is
located in San Juan county, near the
Arizona line, and a few miles from
Mexican Hat, locality where oil in
considerable quantity is said 10 have
been demonstrated several years ago,
and where one gusher Is reported 90
have been struck. The relief provision
is contained in Sec. 10 Of the mineral
land leasing act and is desigEed to aid
those who made placer oil locations
on the public lands prior TO the with
drawal Of these lands from entry by
presidential order. If the applicants
can prove that they had made every
efeort in good faith TO perfect their
title 10 the ground. and had spent at
least two hundred and fifty dollars
per location and had since continued
TO lay claim 10 the ground they will
be given n permit 10 prospect for oil
even IL the ground Is Of known oil
structure, providing they quit claim
30 the government any title they may
think they possess. IN ,his respect
they are favored over other applicants
for oil prospecting permits since per-
mits will not be given on known oil
structures.
According TO Kelley, blanket
Withdrawal of oil lands was ordered
by President Taft September %, 1909,
which affected large areas ia Cali
fornin, Wyoming and Utah. Suisse
quent Withdrawals have been ordered,
but it is the Taft withdrawal with
which Utah is chiefly concerned, and
which affects the lands in question
Large tracts Of land were located un-
der the placer laws for oil prospect
ing. The government withdrew the
lands and prevented the pcrlccling Of
the titles. Tho claimants went to court
and the supreme court upheld the
RICH. of the government To withdraw.
An is not los, however, because the
law of February %, 1920, Fiycs these
old claimants preference rights for
prospecting permits II they continued
10 claim the gound up 10 October /,
1919, and had expended two hundred
and fifty dollars a claim prior Ia
February %, yn2O. hnothcr pro, islon
of the relief measure provided that
these claimants must put IN their
claims for relief prior 10 August %,
1920, or within sX months after the
passage of the mineral leasing bill.
Curiously enough, Il appears that all
of these claimants overlooked a clear,
ly designated proyis ON ia the act
which required them Ia file duplicate @,
of their applications Ia the land office
that the duplicates could be- turned
over 20 the field division. 10 rs this
division that must examine the prop
erty and report on the works aud good
faith of the applicant before the per
init can be granted Kelley says that
this default has been discovered unt
that the duplicates are now being
showered upon him, Within a few
days he will have force OF five ficlt
deputies Ia Southern Utah going over
the land claimed ], is probable that
the fate of thirty-five thousand acres
of future oil land will be determined
! within the next few weeks.