The daily Alaskan., 1921-05-03
Warns Alaska Oil
 LoCators 1@s Delegate to Congress Issues Bulletin to Alaska on Claim
 Loca ators.
 SHOULD PERFECT CLAIMS
 ! Delegate Dan Sutherland Says Locators should Establish Their Boundary Lines Before Litiga- tian Follows Oil Strike. "
CLAIMS
SHOULD

! .Delegate Ddn A. outHeTlahu haa issued warning to Alaska oil land claimants. to perfect locations by marking boundaries to eliminate lit- | igation when oil is found in the Alas l ka oil fields. His circular letter, 1 addressed to claimants, reads as fol- lows: .
 desire to call your attention to the terms under which these permits have been issued by the general i land office and to urge upon you the necessity of complying with the con ditional provision contained in sec ton 7la of the permit, to-wit: .t
 This permit is granted upon the ! express condition that the permittee will adjust any conflict with any prior applicant within (six) months from date hereof" .. ! Under the conditions that pre- vailed in locating areas, 1t has been ! impossible for the department to prepare accurate maps thereof. The requirement. of the leasing law was for the placing of one stake only in locating an area and consequently it is more than probable that a sur vey would demonstrate that many of these claims overlap, and this would apply particularly to-the west i field of the Cold bay district where most of the locations were made.
 In issuing these conditional per mits it is the purpose of the general land office to facilitate and encour- age prospecting, and the oil pros pector should appreciate this unusual procedure in his interest to the exI i tent of cooperating with the depart ment by establishing the boundary lines of his claim within the period of time provided for in the above quoted section No.'7h.
 Any prospeCtor is aware Of the fact that the only sure way of fixing the boundary lines of claim Is by the establishment of corner posts or mounds. and that any claim that IS worth locating well, with a view to preventing future litigation.
 We assume that the locating at Cold bay was done In the manner usual with prospectors and that 1 groups of two, three or four men were present at the locating Of sev- aral claims and that some one mem- ben of the group is capable Of acting for the other members in fixing the boundary lines of the several claims 1 and l therefore respectfully suggest that if it is not convenient for all locators to go to the fields within { the time specified in the permit, It would be well to select one who IS 1 familiar with the locations and give him the authority to go to the heid and act for others as we'll as him. self in placing corner mounds and establishing the lines.
 A departmental surveyor is going to the Cold bay district this summer who will make a sort of skeleton sur vev of the district, but this survey will have no connection with your claims except insofar as it may es- tablish a few base lines. Section 7Ia does not imply that a survey of your claims is required, but simply that all conflicts be adjusted within the six months and all conflicts will be permanently settled when corner mounds are established by common consent of all interested locators.
 It is believed to be a certainty that at least one drill will operate at 1 Cold bay this summer; boundary lines can he easily adjusted without dispute prior to discovery or oil, as a few acres more or less are not considered of great value to an area but in the event of good discovery of oil before all lines are established the history of mining camps will surely be repealed in almost endless litigation. while clouded titles will hamper business transactions.
 make the request herein e1- pressed for a two-fold purpose, first, that each and every prospector who has gone into these remote places 10 locate areas of oil land may have clear and undisputed title to his areas in the event of an oil strike; and, second, that the general land office may be relieved of much labor and trouble in the adjustment Of titles in the event of transfers being