The Indianapolis journal., 1892-03-24
WANTS Mr.. OWEN TO RESIGN
Mr.. Nettleton Thinks the immigration
superintendent Should Be Removed.
Crisis Reached in the Leng Continued Dispute
Between the Assistant Secretary of the
Treasury and the Indiana Man.
TWO OFFICIALS AT WAR.
General Nettleton Asks for the Removal O,
Immigration Superintendent Owen.

General Nettleton Asks for the Removal NJ
Immigration superintendent Owen.
Special to the Indianapolis Journal
WAsHINGToN. March 23-The atmos phere
of the Treasury Department and the Cap
itol has to-day been SO full of rumors af
fecting the official stability of Immigration
superintendent Owen, of Indiana. that
they have assumed sufficiently definite
semi official form as 70 warrant the Journal
correspondent in reproducing, for the news
it contains, the following dispatch which
is being sent tonight to the New York
Press and other leading reliable Repub-
hcan newspapers:
The misunderstanding which has ex-
istec between Assistant Secretary of the
Treasury Nettleton and Superin tendent
of immigration Owen ever since Mr.
Owens appointment. appears to have
reached the acute stage. 1t is stated on
excellent authority tonight that General
Nettleton has strongly urged on Secretary
Foster the propriety of q change of super
intendents, removing Mr. Owen. There
has been continuous friction and repeated
clashlng OF authority between Mr., Owen
who claims that. Rs Superintendent of
immigration, he should have control of all
matters relating to that subject. and Gen.
eral Nettleton. to whom, as Assistant Secre-
tary, all these matters were referred be-
Misunderstanding at various times has
gone so far that each OF the gentlemen has
questioned the veracity OF the others
statements.
The pending investigation of the govern.
ment buildings at Ellis island. IN New
York harbor, has brought on the present
crisis General Nettleton has for several
years past, been subjected to q most rlgid
and. at tunes. very embarrassing line Of
and Chandler of New Hampshire, who are
ehairmen, respectively. of the House aud
Senate special committees on immigration.
The general tenor OF the investigation
aims TO nix upon Secretary NettIeton the
responsibility for expending. on the build
iDgs at Ellis island, some $780,. 900 in excess
o. the estimate originally prepared
by Secretary Window. The last Congress
appropriated S2O0,OOO for the buildings
but General lNottleton has expended out of
the head-tax fund nearly 100000. Secre-
tary Foster will 60 upon the stand to-mor-
row, and In his testimony. IT Is.understood,
will fully sustain General Nettleton's ac-
tons.
THE pertinence OF the leading questions
asked by Mr.. Stump and by Mr. Chandler
convinced General Nettleton that they
were based upon information which could
only have been furnished by some one
very Intimately connected with the Treas
ury Department. It is stated that Gen.
Nettleton has traced this Inforpa-
tIon back to Mr.. Owen. the SUI
0Ssn tn,n,.bss OF %|isrsMfIon s,sms snss
with the questions which have so much
embarrassed General Nettleton and have
reflected so seriously on the Treasury De-
partment, and that his motive was To cast
discredIt upon his superior officer; that In
addition Mr.. Owen had prepared list of
questions which were to be put to him
when he was on the stand, and that the
carefully ly-prepared answers were TO briDg
out strongly the superiority of his methods
over those of General Nettleton. On ascer-
tanning these facts General Nettleton laid
the matter before Secretary Foster and
urged that, to preserve the harmo-
it would be advisable to have another su-
perintendent of immigration, who did not
deem it his most important duty to embar-
rass and discredit his superior. 1t is un-
derstood that Secretary Foster will act
upon these suggestions, and that Mr.. Ow-
ems resignation will be accepted at no
distant day."