The Seattle post-intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, Wash. Terr. [Wash.]) 1888-1914, 1890-04-26
LAND OFFICE FUNDS.
Washington Makes an Excellent
Showing.
SHORTAGES OF RECEIVERS.


WAsHiseros Cfry. April . Some leg
fslation IL expected by this congress
which viii allow the government 70 effect
settlement with certain ciassss OF its ON
cials through the courts when balances are
not adjusted In the ordinary course OF
business aftairs- Some time ago congress
called for . statement from the treasury
depar tment OF the amounts of money due
from those Of its officials. who have been
In position 10 handle the pubic monies
and whose books do not balance From
the land ONCE receivers alone the balance
IN favor OF the government was almost two
millions OF dollars. These balances date
away back to the establishment of the land
office system, and from nearly every one
OF the ITO Offices In the country there Is
something due The shortage comes from
the fact that il has been impossible under
existing laws TO bring suits TO recover the
amounts due. and from the slow round
about course which the accounts take in
the departments. 1t has not been possible
to sue the bondsmen of land
office receivers. and there has been loose
ness Of definitions as to what are public
monies within the meaning OF the law, that
has left . hole through which the re-
ceivers could escape.
1t does not imply because there Is bal
ance due from these receivers that they
have been dishonest. Most of them have
not been dishonest, but when time OF set
tiement has come there have been monies
outstanding which they could not collect
The affairs OF their Office have been turned
over TO the government. on the expiration
OF their terms Of Office. and the new OIL
Gals have started afresh-
From the states OF Washington and Ore
gon the full average OF the delinquent ac-
counts are reported. The balances, as they
stand on the books. are as follows:
George f. Briggs, receiver at Roseburg,
Or, in 1851, $3.50; s. w. Brown. receiver
a; Vancouver, Wash. 1851, $50. 80: s. w.
Brown. receiver at Vancouver, 1878. due
from the government, $0.5l; Joseph Cush-
man, receiver at Olympia. 1852, $slS27;
Joseph Cushman. receiver st Olympia,
1867, due from the government, SOS. 10;
George Il. Curry. receiver at La Grande. Or,
1ss2. $l6i934; J. G. Fullerton. receiver at
Roseburg, Or. 1877, due. $is371; due from
same man in 1878, $377.27: 7. X. Harrison.
receiver at Oregon City. ISIS. due from the
government, $3.50: Jerome Knox, re-
ceiver ut Lake View, Or, 1881, due 500. 10;
George lawson, receiver at Winchester,
1885. due $s0o.70, w. T. Matlock. receiver ut
Oregon, Ore. 1861. due from the govern
ment. $4.4l79s; w. J. Martin, receiver at
Roseburg. 1850. due $i2I7s; Alex Reed,
receiver at Walia Walla. due $6ll.9l: Il. N.
Sweet. receiver at Colfax. 1877, due from
the government. $l7.37.
Bills have been presented this session
which provide for quicker settlement of
the accounts OF land offices. once in three
months, and with the general land Office
direct instead of through the sixth audi
tors Office as at present. and bill is now
being prepared at the interior department
which will authorize the immediate action
in the courts, by the United States district
attorneys, TO compel settlement by the re-
ceivers. or If they are not within reach OF
the court, then by their bondsmeu