Legislation, Federal: Indian Appropriation Act 



In the Indian appropriation act Congress has authorized the Commissioner of 

 Indian Affairs to investigate the condition of timber on Indian reservations, to advise 

 the Indians as to the proper care of their forests, and to conduct such timber opera- 

 tions and sales as may be deemed advisable. The Menominee Reservation is ex- 

 cepted. 



The Secretary of the Interior is empowered to reserve from entry or sale all lands 

 in the Flathead Indian Reservation which are chiefly valuable for power or reservoir 

 sites, and to refer such cases to Congress. 



Approved, March 3, 1909. (Public No. 316.) 



Legislation, Federal: Amendments to Penal Laws 



Congress has amended the penal laws of the United States with reference to depre- 

 dations of, " boxing, " and setting fire to, the timber on public lands; failing to extin- 

 guish forest fires; breaking the fence or gate inclosing any reserved land, or driving 

 live stock upon such land; and injuring or removing government survey marks, or 

 interrupting surveys. It is provided that these amendments shall take effect January 

 1, 1910. 



Approved, March 4, 1909. (Public No. 350.) 



Claims Reports: Amendment to the Manual of Procedure 



The Manual of Procedure is hereby amended as follows: 



Page 41, Claims. Amend second paragraph so as to read: "Upon receipt of a 

 report from the supervisor, upon the appropriate form, of facts which show that the 

 claim is apparently held in good faith, that the laws under which the claim is asserted 

 have been complied with, and that its erroneous passage to patent would not be 

 prejudicial to the interests of the United States, a copy of the approved report, with 

 notation to that effect, will be referred by stamp to the Chief of Field Division of the 

 General Land Office. If the facts contained in the report show that the claimant has 

 not complied with the laws under which his claim is held, or that its erroneous passage 

 to patent would be prejudicial to the interests of the United States, an expert exam- 

 ination will be ordered, if necessary, and the Chief of Field Division notified. Such 

 expert examination shall always be considered necessary as to every mining claim 

 under such circumstances, and will always be made by a qualified mining man. If the 

 expert's and supervisor's reports are sufficient and together indicate the validity of 

 the claim, copies will be referred as above provided. If they indicate its invalidity, 

 copies will be referred in like manner, with notation suggesting that the Chief of 

 Field Division consider whether or not the claim is illegal." 



Same page, Claims. Amend third paragraph to read as follows: "If the Chief of 

 Field Division decides that any one of the supposed grounds of invalidity is insufficient 

 and the District Forester disagrees with such decision, the papers will be referred to 

 the Law Officer in Washington to consider whether further action is desirable." 



Same page, Claims, last paragraph. At the end of the third line above the caption 

 ''Settlement," change the word "recommendation" to "action." 



Timber Trespass: Indictments 



The United States grand jury for the district of Oregon has returned indictments as 

 follows: U. S. v. Tolle A. Spray, February 27, 1909, wilfully and maliciously setting 

 out fires and destroying timbe/in sec. 8, T. 8 S., R. 26 E., Umatilla National Forest, 

 on August 31, 1908.* 



U. S. v. Charles Page, March 13, 1908, wilfully and maliciously setting out fires 

 and destroying timber in sec. 26, T. 33 S., R. 9 W., in the Siskiyou National Forest, 

 on August 25, 1908. 



Regulations: Use Book Revision 



Upon recommendation, the Secretary of Agriculture has approved the following 



regulation, similar to Regulation 30 of The Use Book of 1906, to take effect immediately: 



When the destruction or use of National Forest products or resources will result 



in benefit to the Government through actual protection or improvement of a 



National Forest, the Forester may, without charge, allow such destruction or use 



even to parties not otherwise entitled to a regular free use permit. 



Act of June 11: Effect of Listing by Secretary 



When lands are opened to entry under the act of June 11, 1906, and are not entered, 

 they are thereafter subject to entry under that act at any time. With this exception 

 the status of such lands is unchanged, and they are subject to the laws governing the 

 National Forests. The exterior boundaries of a Forest are not changed by the listing 

 of lands upon the edge of the Forest. 



