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Show ''by the office of claims upon scrutiny of the rec.rds in the general land office, and which are thereafter handled hand-led by the law officer. Thfs offlco will also administer all matters relating re-lating to the Act of June 11, 10(C. Jh.e acquisition of administrative sites and ftnch matters as are designed de-signed by the forester concerning additions to and elimination? frcm national forests by proclamation or otherwise. Respectfully, (Signed), Henry S. Graves, forester. SEGREGATION OF FOREST OFFICES A few months ago tho offices of the law and lands department of tho 1 Forest service were merged, the Idea prevailing at that time that the work of both departments could b sue-ce-sfilully bandied by tho law offiecs. This idea was carried out in all of tho . forest districts in the United States. I Before the merger went into offect I in Ogden. Timothy C. Hoyt was at l the head of tho lands branch, but after af-ter that time he became Identified with the law officer, W. C. Henderson, where he has remained jdnce that time le seems now that the heads of the agricultural department, and the chiof forester, Henry S. Graves, have arrived at the conclusion that there is a necessity for tho two branches of the service, and. In accordance ac-cordance with that conviction, it has been ordered that there ehall be a segregation. The personnel of the officers of the two departments is problematical, but It seoms to be quite certain that Mr. Henderson will be retained lu the law department and. it is quite likely that Mr. Hoyt will bo placed in charge of i the "Branch of Lands." In a recent I communication from the heads of the , service, and also the secretary of tho : agricultural department of the interior bureau. It was stated that the duties of the law officer are so numerous and I exacting that he should not be called upon to attend to any other branch of the work, and It wa6 recommended that the lands branch of the service be re-established. A letter from Chief Forester Graves recommending the establishment of the "Branch of Iands" and the approval ap-proval of the same by Secretary James Wilson, secretary of agriculture, agricul-ture, reads as follows: "The Honorable. The Secretary of Agriculture. Sir: I hereby recommend recom-mend that a Brunch of Lands be established es-tablished in the Forest Service and that it have the following organization and Jurisdiction: "Offlco of Occupancy This office will have cbargo of all "matters relating relat-ing to the ufese of National Forest land, not already covered by tho L'ranch of Silviculture and the Branch or Grazing, which are allowed by law ond regulation. This shall also Include In-clude reports upon rights-of-way projects proj-ects to the department of the Interior and the preparation of stipulations, as required in such cases. It shall also Include the special study and compilation com-pilation of forest laws, and reports and correspondence upon federal and rtatc legislation. "Offlc of Claims This office will administer all matters relating ti claims upon national forests, including includ-ing the final scrutiny of forest officers' offi-cers' reports and tho submission of such reports to the department of the interior. This office shall have supervision over all questions relating relat-ing to claims procedure upon national nation-al foreots. except hearings In claims contests, which are handled by th ' l&w officer; and except tho transmission transmis-sion of appeals, which are prepared |