38 THE USE BOOK. 



application, entry, location, or other writing in the local land 

 office, county records, or elsewhere, or by posting notice on 

 the ground, or by occupancy or otherwise. 



The complaint to be filed by the supervisor in the local land 

 office need not be under oath, but it should be verified by the 

 Forest officer, who sliould sign it and give his address. It 

 should describe the claim by section, township, and range, if sur- 

 veyed ; or by reference to fixed objects, if unsurveyed. If a 

 filing has been made for the claim, the number of the filing 

 or entry and the name and address of the claimant should 

 be given. The complaint should state facts sufficient to war- 

 rant the rejection of the claim. 



Upon the filing of the complaint the local land officers will 

 assume charge of the case. They will issue all notices and 

 direct all proceedings. The General Land Office circulars of 

 September 30 and November 25, 1907 (36 L. D., 112, 178), will 

 govern the proceedings taken in such cases. 



Forest officers are not authorized to incur any expense for the 

 attendance or mileage of witnesses or for witness fees on depo- 

 sitions or on hearings before the local land officers. All such 

 expenses must be paid from the land-office funds. Forest offi- 

 cers should, however, upon request, assist in serving notices 

 and subpoenas issued by the local land officers in any proceed- 

 ings taken under this circular. In such cases subpoenas are not 

 required to be served upon Forest officers, who will attend hear- 

 ings, if possible, upon notice given by the local land officers. 

 If it is not absolutely necessary for them to attend the hear- 

 ings, or when it is imperative that they remain upon their 

 Forest, the supervisors should request the Chief of the Field 

 Division of the General Land Office to take the depositions of 

 the Forest officers for use at the hearings. 



When a complaint is filed, a copy should immediately be 

 transmitted to the Forester, with a report upon the claim on 

 Form 175, 654, 655, or 320 and statements of the evidence to 

 be given by each witness for the Government. These statements 

 should, if possible, be in the form of affidavits, signed and 



