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An adverse report on a claim should be so full and complete that thd 3 vidence when 

 submitted to the Interior Department would prima facie warrant a cancellation of 

 the entry. 



2. When a thorough investigation of a claim has been made and the Supervisor 

 decides that a contest should be initiated he will make a full report to the District 

 Forester. If the District forester approves the recommendation of the Supervisor 

 he will refer the report to the District Law Office for consideration of the sufficiency 

 of the evidence. If the District Law Officer is of the opinion that other and additiona 

 evidence is required, he will so advise the District Forester, who will take the neces- 

 sary action to secure it. When the report is completed the District Forester will 

 transmit it to the Forester, who will make his recommendation thereon and transmit 

 all the papers to the Solicitor, who will make an examination of the case for the pur- 

 pose of ascertaining the sufficiency of the law and evidence to sustain the contest 

 and for the purpose of recommending to the Secretary the action to be taken thereon. 



3. The reports of the Forest officers should be as full and complete as the facts of 

 the case will permit and should include especially: 



(a) A particular description of the land, its location, character, amount of timber, 

 description of improvements; and if an agricultural claim, its accessibility as a home, 

 extent and nature of cultivation each year, and periods of residence; if a mining 

 claim, the nature and extent of work done, and, when the examination has been 

 made by an expert miner, the nature and extent of mineral deposits. 



(6) A digest of the testimony of witnesses and, where possible, the testimony of 

 witnesses reduced to writing, signed, and verified by them. 



(c) A full statement of the Forest officer showing facts in his knowledge and the 

 sources from which derived. Facts, not opinion, are desired. 



(d) A full statement of entryman or claimant should be procured if possible. 



The foregoing specifications of evidence to be submitted are not exclusive of any 

 other evidence pertinent and relevant to the case, the intent being that the report 

 should be fair and sufficient in detail to enable the department to determine whether 

 a contest should be initiated. 



4. Upon the determination of the Secretary as to the action required he will advise 

 the Secretary of the Interior, and if a contest is necessary, he will indicate the charges 

 upon which a hearing is requested and will transmit the report of the Forest officer to 

 him with the request that action be taken. 



5. When the District Law Officer is notified by the Register and Receiver of an 

 order or application for a hearing the Law Office will confer with the Chief of Field 

 Division of the General Land Office for the purpose of fixing a date for hearing. The 

 District Law Officer or his assistant will attend the hearing and assist the special 

 agent of the General Land Office in the conduct of the hearing as directed by the 

 joint order of the Secretary of Agriculture and the Secretary of the Interior of June 25. 

 The District Law Officer will secure a copy of the testimony in each case at the expense 

 of the Forest Service, will prepare a brief for the Department, which will be filed with 

 the papers in the local Land Office and transmitted by the Register and Receiver to 

 the Commissioner of the General Land Office, and a copy of the brief must be duly 

 served on the claimant or his attorney by the Law Officer. The District Law Officer 

 will send his copy of the testimony and a copy of the brief prepared by him to the 



