The Seattle post-intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, Wash. Terr. [Wash.]) 1888-1914, 1890-04-14
THE LAND DISTRICTS.
Two New Ones to be Called
Columbia and Chehalis.
4 lAND oFFlcE BUSINESS.
Coed Fees fsr = ye~xs' Trnnssrstsas-
ApPrspri.si~as - Resssrs signal
service Csaasrsas.s.

tsS SSIAtc 70 cA1selsn new k4n3 districts
IN Washington. which explains the neoes-
sity Tor the passage OF the measure:
The two proposed land districts are Sub
DIVISIONS of What are known ~ the Seattle
and Yakima ixnd districts.
The Seattle land cfice has become 30
cyer-burdened with business that the ofEscs
Is now one year behind in open dates for
taking final proof. and in contest cases il is
impossible for the register or receiver to
render decisions within . reasonable time.
The fees and commissions Of said ofiice TOR
the last fiscal year were in the neiShhor-
hood OF $6e.Oo.
This entails an enormous amount
OF work To reach the present Office most
OF those residing in the proposed new dis
tricts must travel some 80 miles. and 10
make timber land entry or final proof
from three to four days time.
The district proposed by this bin win he
about isl miles long and sixty miles wide.
and viii be known rs the Chehalis land dis
trict- The iand embraced in this district
has been settled very rapidly OF late years.
II is estimated that 5.ooo people have gons
into Chehalis county in the last eighfesn
months. II IL also estimated that the pro-
POSED district has fully 5000 people. The
committee il OF the opinion that this
Chehalis land district is so bounded As 10
entail very tyiding expense in the prepsra-
ton Of plats and tract books. and the pro-
posed location OF said Office at Olympia
would, when Sc located, be most convenient
and accessible from all parts OF the dis
trict
The new district proposed and desig-
mated as the Columbia land district viii be
about loo miles square In the proposed
district, in addition 10 large agricultural
AREA. IL also contains large mineral area,
and many promising camps are i'm exis-
tence In many parts of 0Ksnogan county.
This county has now population OF (esti-
mated) 5.ooo. and several hundred mining
claims have been located and ID is thought
that the number will be largely increased
this year. In all matters before q United
States land Office they must travel dis
tance OF about 400 miles. The population
and settlers have come in so fast Cor the
past year that the postal department have
given them daily mail from waferville,
the proposed location of said Office, to
Ruby. the county seat Of Okanoga an county.
In Douglas county the land is entirely
agricultural. and these people are put 10 .
travel 50 far--over 10o miles.
Your committee is informed that about
one-half Of the business Of the Tacoma land
ONCE comes from the county Of Douglas
Two railroads are now being built TO the
county seat Of watesville. II is. tharcfors.
evident from the character OF the country,
the diversity of its resources. the rapid set
tlement in progress, that the business of
kk.v fsv< Ill -
tahIishment, while It's creation will be OF
great convenience to the settlers"
The secretary Of the interior, who APP
proves Of the bill. says that the establish
ment OF the proposed districts will serve q
great public convenience, and afford much
needed facilities TO settlers for the transac-
ton Of business in relation to the entry OF
lands.
The measure 10 grant to the palouse and
Spokane Railway Company the rightos-
way through the Neg Perez Indian reser-
vation In Idaho will be urged upon the
favorable consideration of the House by
the committee on Indian affairs The
committee have prepared q report In It's
favor, in which they say that the con-
templased extension is important 10 the
people OF Idaho as we'll n 70 the Neg
Perez Indians. The road is responsible,
and the committee is assured that If the
right-of-way Is granted the road viii be
built without delay.
In the opinion of the committee the
rights OF the Indians and the public are at
well guarded rs 1t is possible to protect
them by enactment.
Under the Law the land Offices in certain
territories. including the state OF Washing
ton, the fees Of registers and receivers have
been fifty per cent higher than the general
schedule At the time OF the making of
the Law there was . necessity for the
higher rate in these localities. Bat the
business in the Offices in Washington has
so largely increased that this necessity no
longer exists, and the committee on public
lands viii in consequence urge the passage
of . measune taking Washington from the
list, which viii be done by simply striking
the word Washington from the existing
Law.
When the Senate passed the bill for .
lighthouse on North Head and Cape Disap-
poinsment, it carried an appropriation for
doing the work. but the House committee
on commerce viii not agree 20 do more at
this time than TO authorize the establish
naent of the light. leaving the spprorr;s-
ton TO be made at future time.
IL may be proper TO say that. with the
necessary legislation, IL Is the intention of
the lighthouse hoard to establish at this
point first order light. 10 cost 5000.
The present light at Cape disappointment
Is inadequate. the board says. and IL t. pro-
possd 10 establish = first order light st
North Head and reduce that ~ Cape Dis
appointment 10 the fourth order. When
TIE proposed lights, which are being con-
ssrucssa at Grsy's Hzrbor and Destruction
island, are conapIssed, II viii only need the
proposed light at North Head 10 finish the
lighting OF the coast from Caps flattery 10
Tillanook Rock with FIRST order lights.
The ehies signal offaoe has notified the
House thst an appropriation Of 800 Is
Immediately required TO restore teisgraphie
communication between TAsoosh island
and the mainland Of Washing son. "a is
known, the government has maintained
this telegrsphic Communication by means
al a cable. but this cable ia nov broken
General 5rsesy says thss this line has been
OF great service, and thai during one year
90 vessels were reported. In addition. he
SAYS that these lines are vslnanle for the
reporting of vessels. and the sunnoning Of
assistance In eAsea of GistFesa