Show will aid prospectors P in holding land the prospector or miner who has located claims and Is proceeding in good faith will be fully protected by the government that la Is the sub stance of a decision recently rendered by william spry commissioner of 0 the general land office at washing ton toil according to word received by john R towles register of the U S land office here yesterday under the act of dec 29 1916 commonly known as the stock raising homestead law it is possible to make entry of mineral lands the minerals being reserved to the united states in some cases homestead apall cants under the act have attempted ed to make entry of lands embraced in valid mineral locations in order to protect the miner and prospector a person who applies to make entry un W der the stock raising act must not on all ly waive his right to mineral in the land but must swear that no part of the land Is covered by recorded mineral claims that are being worked in one case now before the local land office a homestead is being contested by the government on the charge that at the time the ap was filed part of 0 the land embraced in the application was embraced in duly recorded mining claims and that assessment work was being done on said mining claims the effect of commissioner spry a decision Is that t ane a mining man Is entitled to the land embraced in his location notice if he makes a valid discovery no one can take the surface from him any more than they can take his mineral it if there are any miners or prospectors who are unable to stand the expense of a contest with the homesteader who has filed application subsequent to the mineral location such miner or prospector should lay his case before the chief of the field division at santa fe A N M |