Idaho County free press. [volume] (Grangeville, Idaho Territory) 1886-current, 1921-08-18
BILL CHANGING
ON.
MINES PASSES.

Bill changing the annual per.
iod in which assessment work must
be performed on mining claims from
the calendar year to the fiscal year
has passed the national house of rep
resentatives and now awaits action
of the senate, where it Is expected to
receive favorable action at an early
date. The bill as it pasted the house
reads as follows
YEAR BEGINS JULY 1
"That the period within which the
work required to be doAe annually ON
all unpatented mineral claims locat-
ed since May 10, 1872, Including such
claims in Alaska, shall commence at
II O'Clock noon on the LIST day of
July succeeding the date of location
of such claim; provided further, that
on all such valid existing claims the
annual period ending Dec. 81, 1921,
shall continue to 10 o'clock noon July
/, 1922. f"
The passage of this Dill is the out
come of long discussion lin the various
mining districts of the west, from
which it appears that the change is
in conformity with the prevailing
sentiment among those who are in
terested in the mining Industry. Pos.
sibly the change is a matter of indif-
ference to the mining interests of
Arizona, New Mexico. and parts of
Nevada, here the winters are mild
and conditions are not Iunfavorable to
the doing of assessment work in any
season; in fact, where it is probably
more favorable to do the work in
midwinter. But in practically all the
other mining states and in Alaska
the heavy snowfall and frequently
the excessive cold during November
and December make the doing of as
sessment work very difficult and even
impossible, and the tendency of many
claim owners to POSTPONE the work
until the closing months of the year,
combined to make the change desir-
able.
YEAR ENDS NOON, JULY 1
1t will be observed that the new
law makes the end of the assessment
year ~ o clock July i. Why the end
of the year was not made midnight
June 30, in exact conformity with the
fiscal year. is not explained and at
this time there is no good reason APP
parent for the change Possibly it
was done to accommodate the relo-
cation of claims upon which the as
sessment work has not been done,
giving the relocators the advantage
of daylight in which to do their work
Possibly it is a matter of little i'm
portance, but it is believed that it
would have been better to make the
assessment year conform identically
with the fiscal year, just as the as
sessment year under the present law
conforms to the calendar. The as
sessment year now ends at midnight
December 81 and under the new law
it should end at midnight June 30.
Unless there is some valid reason,
which does not appear in this case,
no provision should be. introduced
that will create confusion, min
ing men point out. Hundreds of
and claims owners liv-
ing in remote sections and even in
the more populus districts will never
read the law They simply hear
that the assessment year has been
to end, June 30 and they will
simply assume that it means mid
night on that date, just as midnight
December 81 is now the end of the
year. The senate would do well to
amend the law in this respect max
ng the end of the year midnight June
30 and thus conform to the fiscal year
n fact, mining men point out.
ASSESSMENT FOR 1921
1t will be observed in the proposed
aw as quoted is specifically pro
yided that upon its final passage
he time for Ioing assessment
work. on existing mining claims
s extended six months from Decem-
Ter 81. Claim owners should bear in
mind, however, that the bill is not yet
law, and that W bile it is exepcted
hat it viii soon be passed by the
enate ands approved by the president,
here may be unexpected delay. 1t
5 therefore the safest plan to pro
eed with the assessmeht work now.