THE USE BOOK. 39 



sworn to before a Forest officer by the witnesses. The super- 

 visor must retain copies of all such papers. 



The affidavits or statements should give every material fact 

 affecting the validity of the claim. The place where the affi- 

 davit is taken and the name and the address of the affiant 

 should be given, and the affidavit should be signed by the officer 

 before whom it is taken. 



Forest officers should endeavor to obtain competent and re- 

 liable persons to appear as witnesses in support~of thecharges 

 tiTTne complaint. They should, upon request, furnish the local 

 land officers the names and addresses of such witnesses, so that 

 subpu'ims may be issued for their attendance at hearings. 



The General Land Office circular of February 18, 1908 (Ap- 

 pendix, p. 21)0), instructs the chiefs of the Field Division of 

 the General Land Office to confer with the supervisor before 

 fixing the time and place for the hearing. 



Under the law and the regulations of the General Land Office 

 no witness can be compelled to appear either before the local 

 land officers or any other officers outside of the county in 

 which the subpo?na may be served, and no mileage fees can be 

 demanded or paid for any distance traveled by the witness 

 outside of the county in which the hearing is held or in 

 which his deposition is taken, nor can an attendance fee be 

 allowed or paid a witness for the time occupied by him in 

 going to and returning from the place at which the hearing is 

 held or his deposition is taken. Supervisors should, when in 

 conference with chiefs of field divisions respecting hearings to 

 be held, endeavor in all cases to have the testimony of witness 

 taken before an officer of the county where the land lies. 



COURT ATTENDANCE. 



If a Forest officer is subpoenaed to attend and testify as a 

 w2tn^^^o_theJ^iteA_States in a case pending in the courts, he 

 should present his claim for reimbursement to the clerk of the 

 court and not charge his expenses to the Forest Service. If 

 subpoenaed to appear and testify as a witness for any other 



