The Wallace miner. [volume] (Wallace, Idaho) 1907-current, 1921-07-07
CONFUSION CAUSED
BYASSESSMENT LAW
Assumed That Ex-
tension Ended on
June 30
BUT JULY l WAS DATE
The Law Again Published
for Information of All
Concerned
BUT JULY / WAS DATE

wv IHN DID congress, in passing
W. am act extending the time in
w which to do annual assess
ment work on mining claims
for the year 1920 six months from
December 81, make the final date
July 1 instead of June 80? Although
the law was widely published and
much discussed the impression
nevertheless prevailed that the per-
iod of extension ended at midnight
on June 30, and acting upon that I'M
derstanding many enterprising citi-
zens relocated claims upon which the
assessment work had not been done
on July /. only to find that the ground
was not open to location until after
midnight July 1 or on July 2. Some
of these locators did not learn their
mistake until too late to remedy it.
their claims being again located by
parties who were wise to the provi-
sions of the law extending the time.
Naturally the first locators were not
disposed to abandon their claims I'M
I'll they had been shown. and as a
consequence disputes followed which
might lead to serious conflict and
possible litigation were it not for the
plain and unmistakable wording of
the law Both i'm the title and in the
body of the law, July 1 is given as
the final date for the performance of
assessment work for the year 1920.
For the information of the great
number who are interested. the law
is here published in fun.
The Law.
AN act extending the time for the
doing of annual assessment work on
mining claims for the year 1920 to
and including July 1. 1921
"Be il enacted by the senate and
house of representatives. of the Unit
ed States of America in congress as
sembled, that the period within which
work may be performed or improve
ments made for the year 1920, upon
mining claims as required under
section 1924 of the Revised Statutes
of the United States. is hereby ex-
tended to and including the first day
of July, 1921: so that work done or
improvements made upon any mining
claim in the United States or Alaska
on or before July 1, 1921, shall have
the same effect as if the same had
been performed within the calendar
year of 1920; provided, that this act
shall not i'm any way change or mod
fly the requirements of existing law
as to work to be done or improve
ments made upon mining claims for
The year 1921"
Date Escaped Attention.
OF course there are those who will
see generalization and design in
July instead of June 80 as
The last of the period of extension,
)ut this does not seem plausible in
view Of the wide publicity that ne
'essarily followed the act. It is evil
lent now that many claim owners
read the law carelessly and simply
acted upon the general statement
hat the time for doing assessment
work had been extended six months
rom the end of the year 1920 and
assumed that it meant, as it should
have meant, until midnight June 80.
Il is nevertheless singular that with
all the discussion regarding the as
law since the passage Of
he extension act that some one did
lot discover the confusion that would
naturally follow in time to have con-
yress change the final date to con-
form TO the calendar and in conform
ty to the general understanding of
The extension law 1t is an unfor-
.unate situation, but It is evident
hat there can be no double interpre-
.ation of the law. Every claim own
or had until midnight July in which
10 perform his assessment work for
1920 or to be in the act of perform
ng it, and his ground was not subject
10 relocation until he had failed to do
so mp to that hour