Salt Lake Telegram | 1934-10-26 | Page 17 | Ickes Decision Brings Relief to Mine Men

ICKES DECISION BRINGS BRINOS RELIEF TO rO MINE MEN Reverses Ruling on Validity of Surveys for or Claim Filings Utah mine operators breathed c easier si Friday as Interior Secretary Harold L. L.- Ickes lekes reversed decisions of two commissioners of the general land and office at W Washington hington D. D C. C who had lad ruled a mining claim laim survey was invalidated if it the surveyor was an of the applicant Word of the decision was received Friday today by Th Thomas ThPmas F. F Thomas mas register regis regis- ter er of the Jhc United States land office here hefe from Washington Thousands of mining claims have been een surveyed by qualified States deputy mineral surveyors who were also in the employ of the applicant applicant ap ap- ap- ap Mr Thomas explained and andi i if Secretary Ickes had upheld the commissioners all of oC th these e claims might have been questioned and new surveys ordered Question Is Raised The question came up when the Premier Park Mining Minin company filed seven applications for patent on mining min ing claims in the Elkhorn district south southeast ast of Park City on April 25 1932 The United States deputy mineral surveyor who surveyed the land for patent was at the time an art engineer in the employ of oC the Utah-Delaware Utah Mining company compan Both the Utah Utah- Delaware and the Premier Park companies com corn pani s arc art controlled fry by the International lional Smelting company compan The he United States Stales commissioner at n ruled on February 27 1933 that the survey was invalid be cause a surveyor could not serve two masters This commissioners commissioner's successor rendered a similar decision July 10 1933 Stresses Practice In reversing the thc commissioner Secretary Sec Ickes Ickes' pointed out the apparently apparently widespread practice of mining companies having ha their own men survey their land for government patent patent patent pat pat- ent might be in some instances against public policy C- C but there was no definite provision in federal law prohibiting it He ruled there was no basic difference in the fact that the surveyor was being pad on a salary basis rather than by fee