SERVICE ORDERS. 



SERVICE ORDER 23. 



SEPTEMBER 3, 1908. 

 Relinquisliment of Claims. 



In receiving relinquish ments Forest officers should carefully avoid making a per- 

 emptory demand or using any words which could be construed as a threat of pro- 

 ceedings in the courts. The administration of the laws affecting the relinquishment 

 of lands in National Forests remains with the Department of the Interior (Use Book, 

 p. 218). The Forest officer is only a medium of transmittal. 



If it is deemed advisable to suggest a relinquishment of a claim believed by the 

 officer to be invalid, it should, if practicable, be done by a letter mailed or handed 

 to the claimant in substantially the following form: 



National Forest. 



, 190 . 

 Mr. 



DEAK SIR: 



I have made a careful examination of the following land embraced 



within your claim, and have thoroughly investigated the facts and circum- 

 stances upon which your claim appears to be based. The results of my examina- 

 tion and investigation are embodied in a report prepared for submission to the 

 Forester which will, I believe, lead to a hearing before the Land Office to deter- 

 mine the validity or invalidity of your claim. 



If you believe that yonr claim is for any reason invalid and desire to save 

 yourself and the Government the trouble and expense of such a hearing, I shall 

 be glad to receive from you a voluntary relinquishment (duplicate blank forms 

 inclosed), and to forward the same for filing, to the Register and Receiver of 



the United States Land Office at . If it is received on or before a 



copy will be sent to the Forester together with my report and a hearing will be 

 unnecessary. 



If the suggestion is made orally it should be to the same effect in substance. 

 A copy of the relinquishment should be forwarded to the Forester for his files 

 with notation of the date of transmittal of the original to the local Land Office. 



OVERTON W. PRICE, 



Associate Forester. 



(113) 



