ANNUAL ASSESSMENT WORK ON MINING CLAIMS HELD

BY LOCATION IN THE UNITED STATES

JUNE 8. 1949-Ordered to be printed

Mr. ENGLE of California, from the committee of conference, submitted the following

CONFERENCE REPORT

(To accompany H. R. 17541

The committee of conference on the disagreeing votes of the two Houses on the amendments of the Senate to the bill (H. R. 1754) extending the time for the completion of annual assessment work on mining claims held by location in the United States for the year ending at 12 o'clock meridian July 1, 1949, having met, after full and free conference, have agreed to recommend and do recommend to their respective Houses as follows:

That the House recede from its disagreement to the amendments of the Senate to the text of the bill, and agree to the same with an amendment, as follows:

In lieu of the matter proposed to be inserted by the Senate amendment insert the following: That the provision of section 2324 of the Revised Statutes of the United States, which requires on each mining claim located. and until a patent has been issued therefor, not less than $100 worth of labor to be performed or improvements aggregating such amount to be made each year, be, and the same is hereby, suspended as to all mining claims in the United States until the hour of 12 o'clock meridian of the 1st day of July 1949: Provided. That every claimant of any such mining claim in order to obtain the benefits of this Act shall file, or cause to be filed, in the office where the location notice or certificate is recorded, on or before 12 o'clock meridian of August 1, 1949, a notice of his desire to hold said mining claim under this Act: Provided further, That any labor performed or improvements made on any such mining claim during the year ending July 1, 1949, may be credited against the labor or improvements required to be performed or made for the year ending at 12 o'clock meridian on the 1st day of July 1950.

SEC. 2. Notwithstanding the provisions of any Act of Congress to the contrary, any person who hereafter prospects for, mines, or removes, by

strip or open pit mining methods, any minerals from any land included in a stock raising or other homestead entry or patent, and who had been liable under such an existing Act only for damages caused thereby to the crops or improvements of the entryman or patentee, shall also be liable for any damage that may be caused to the value of the land for grazing by such prospecting for, mining, or removal of minerals. Nothing in this section shall be construed to impair any vested right in existence on the effective date of this section.

And the Senate agree to the same.

That the House recede from its disagreement to the amendment of the Senate to the title of the bill and agree to the same.

CLAIR ENGLE,

KEN REGAN,

WM. LEMKE,

Managers on the Part of the House of Representatives.

STATEMENT OF THE MANAGERS ON THE PART OF THE HOUSE

The managers on the part of the House at the conference on the disagreeing votes of the two Houses on the amendments of the Senate to the bill (H. R. 1754) extending the time for the completion of annual assessment work on mining claims held by location in the United States for the year ending 12 o'clock meridian July 1, 1949, submit the following statement in explanation of the effect of the action agreed upon and recommended in the accompanying conference report as to each of such amendments, namely:

(a) The change of date from "1950" to "1949" provides a 1-year instead of a 2-year suspension of annual assessment work.

(b) The change of date from July to August extends by 1 month the time for a claimant of a mining claim held by location to file "a notice of his desire to hold said mining claim under this Act."

(c) The proviso added to section 1 credits any assessment work performed on a mining claim during the year ending July 1, 1949, against annual assessment work required on such claim for the year ending July 1, 1950.

(d) Enlargement of the liability for damage caused to the value of land for grazing on a stock raising or other homestead entry or patent was confined to the prospecting for, mining, or removal of any minerals on such lands "by strip or open pit mining methods."

CLAIR ENGLE,