| Show I Assailed At Bar B Meet By Richard A. A Squires CANYON HOTEL YELLOWSTONE YELLOWSTONE YELLOW YELLOW- STONE NATIONAL PARK Special cial The cial-The The U U. S S. S Bureau of Land Management i was caught in the center of a conflict between placer mining claimants and oil and gas lessees on the public domain here Fri Friday ay The dispute broke out during the final session of the thc regional meeting of the American Bar which has attracted some la lawyers ers from six western states including Utah I II Byron Mock lock manager of the Salt Lake B L M 1 office was accused accused ac ac- ac- ac of an mining anti attitude attitude attitude atti atti- tude after he said his bureau would operate co-operate in attempting I to clear up placer mining claims on the public domain His accuser Edward J J. J Bloom Wallace Vallace Ida mining attorney charged that Mr 11 Mock and the bureau he represents convict I themselves of an mining anti at at- I I The dispute followed an opening opening open open- ing address by J. J M. M J Jessen essen Dallas Dallas Dallas Dal Dal- las Tex attorney for General Sec See Tape Page 2 Column 5 Placer Placer Gas Lessees Air Woes At State Six-State B far Bar r Meeting I Continued from front Tape Page e One II I Petroleum Corp who said the I thousand of placer mining claims in Utah's rich oil Uintah County are arc adversely af tf affecting affecting af- af feeling the oil industry He lie said that at present there theres is s no orderly way to clear up conflicting conflicting conflicting con con- claims between holders of oil and gas gns leases and placer mining claims He lie advised against trying to buy buyout out claims on onland onland onland land subsequently leased by the government for or oil and gas as ex ex- J Locators Scattered The lIThe original locators of many years ago have scattered from Maine to California If they are dead there is always the possibility possibility possibility thirl one or more heirs claiming an nn interest in the land I Imil mil may be he overlooked with the net nel result that thal the lessee spends a ar great r al deal of time and money and still winds up with a defective title lille the oil industry spokesman said I He lie rC that lessees initiate proceedings within the Department of Interior which he said has the obligation to establish the validity or invalidity of placer claims Legislation Needed In addition Mr l Jessen said Congress should enact legislation legislation legisla legisla- I tion requiring owners of or outstanding outstanding outstanding out out- standing and existing mining claims to file ile a complete abstract of their claims with the federal district land office within one year of the effective date of or the legislation Failure to comply with the requirement requirement re re- re- re Mr l J Jess e s s e en n said should constitute forfeiture of the claim by the placer claimant As a permanent permaner t solution he said Congress should revise the nations nation's mining law This revision should provide that a mining claim does docs not carry with it il any my of the minerals subject to disposition under the mineral leasing act lct of or 1920 Should Reserve Minerals These miners miners including including phosphate phosphate phosphate phate oil and gas should gas should be he reserved reserved re rc- re- re served and retained by the U. U S. S he added As Js I see ee th the picture the hard hard- rock mineral industry and the oil J industry should have equal right of or access to land in n the public domain and both should be in a position to conduct concurrent I operations on the same land If this cannot be accomplished it is evident that legislation w will willbe willbe 11 be introduced by the oil industry industry industry indus indus- try to curtail the activities of the mineral industry on onland onland land lond in the public domain Mr 11 Jessen predicted lie He said that such a move would produce bad legislation H h |
