The Seattle post-intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, Wash. Terr. [Wash.]) 1888-1914, 1892-10-16

Office cost the people of the state the sum OF
s9.250 year. The sum total as Sc. forth IN that
article included the following items:
Office rent and furniture. 1000
stationery. fuel sud postage. ..-...... ~
etenographers work il preparing BRIEFS. 80
Assistant at seattle. ....................-. loo
Assistant at olympia. -..-.--. ...-...-.. " "
ASSISTANT at w ALA NEUTRALITY-SUSPICIOUS.. 90
Assistant at North Yakima. ..-........-.... too
Assistant at Spokane w
Assistant at Vancouver. ..........-....--... 6o
Assistant at " ateryiise OBSERVATION-DISCLOSURES. GU
Any one who will take the trouble TO exam
Inc the statute making these appropriations VIII
notice that they are not absolutely appropriated
10 this Office, but only set aside TO be used IN
case OF necessity. And with reference 10 the
first item of 5000 for travelling expenses. the
sum OF 81 ,06a IL only has been drawn up to date
This sum WILL of course be increased before the
expiration OF the wear, as the attorney general
is now absent in Washington City attending TO
his official duties in connection with the har-
Dor line cases which are being heard in the su-
premo court of the United States.
Office rent and furniture, sl.eoo-This ap-
preparation was made while the attorney gem
eral occupied rooms In the Talcott building in
the city OF olympia, FOR which the state was
paying the munihcent sum of SIS per month,
and as the supreme court was trying 10 occupy
the balance OF the room In the same building,
and they were wholly insufficient for the pur-
pose, the clerk of the supreme court was COM
pelled to occupy the greater part OF the
attorney generals Office. And although the
amount actually paid for Office rent was charged
TO the office OF the attorney general, 1t was
chiefly used by the clerk of the supreme court
and the court itself. However. the amount
actuslly expended out OF this $1,000 was only
500, as all of the state officers moved into the
new building subsequently provided by the
legislature, after using the old offices for four
months, and no more OF that appropriation
drawn hat nj eNg2ntiQD
was applied in general with all other appropria-
lions made for other state Offices.
Furuiture--It is charged IN this article that
the office of the attorney general is elaborately
furnished. We would invite the citizens or the
state TO call at the office OF the attorney general,
in the city of Olympus, snd note the extrava-
gance with which IL Is furnished. The furni-
tu-e consists OF half dozen common chairs
and a si5-desk, the last legislature having neg
lected TO make any provisions for furnishing
his office in the Mckinney building
Fuel-That article also intends TO convey the
idea that the state OF Washington is paying the
Office rent for the attorney generals private
Office Ill the city of Spokane, also for his private
stenographer, and that the attorney general gets
for his own private Golfers the amount OF money
appropriated for fuel, steuographer's fees, etc.
The state has never paid cent of office rent
excepting the SIS q month Tor four months for
the small Offices heretofore occupied by the at
torney general Ill Olympia, nor has 1t ever paid
Il cent for any private stepographer for the at
torney general, but simply for such work as has
absolutely and necessarily been done Tor the
state.
The entire amount expended for stationery,
fuel and postage up to date is the sum of sl39.6a
OF the amount appropriated for stenographers
work and preparing briefs, Viz 5000, the sum
OF sS6475 only has been expended, the balance
remaining in the treasury
Assistant at o ympa-The legislature learned
9 no nj
OF the attorney general necessarily compelled
him to be absent from the city OF Olympia fire.
quently during the session of the supreme
court of the state. where it was absolutely nee
essary that some one should attend to the inter-
es;s of the state in matters pending il that
court
Within two weeks after the inauguration of
this officer he was compelled to leave the state
and be absent in Washington City a month. at
tending litigation before the department OF the
interior involving millions OF dollars worth of
property of the state During the May and June
session Of the supreme court of the state, for the
year 1891, he was also con- PEELED TO be absent in
Washington City nearly month. This visit
was made under the direction of the governor
OF the state to secure such action from the In
terror department as would enable the state to
select It's granted lands, and without which not
Il single acre could have been selected
During the May and June session of the year
1S92, the attorney general was com PEELED again
10 be absent at Washington City to argue the
case before the interior department involving
the title to school section sixteen in the city of
Tacoma The states title to this section was
attacked By persons claiming il for u placer
mining claim. The property was appraised at
over ss00,oo0. and many good judges place its
value considerably in excess OF $1,000 900, which
would undoubtedly have been lost to the state
but for the vigorous interference of the attorney
general. At the time this litigation was com.
GOD fhp ~. al fl1- had Ia
ton whatever for protecting the interests OF the
state in matters OF this kind. Not dollar had
been provided tor the purpose OF securing wit
nesses, nor was any officer of the state authorized
orcharged with the duty OF attending to contests
before any of the land Offices OF tao
state. But the attorney general, real
king the gravity of the situation, vol
UNFAIRLY took charge OF the litigation, spent a
month In the city OF Seattle taking testimony,
and secured tho assistance of the commits
sfonsrs OF Pierce county for the purpose of Sc
curing witnesses, prospecting the claim and,
among other things, sinking a shaft ninety-dvs
feet deep upon the premises From this shaft
al OF the material taken was carefully PANIED
out by expert miners and the result. submitted
to the court. IL also appeared from the first re-
port OF The attorney general that the title of tho
state 20 its school lands had been attacked in
the different land offices in the state siuce its
admission into The Union IN more thaa go
cases. This the attorney general had given such
Ettention to as IL was possible for one man to do
in view OF the fact that there are seven land
Offices in the state and no provision Whatever
had been made by the legislature for taking
care OF the states interest In such
controversies. These facts called the attention
oil the legislature TO the necessity of making
some provision for protecting the interests of
the state in lis school lands in litigation in TIE
yaroas land Offices of the state As IL was
mani estly impossible Tor any one officer to AZ.
tend to litigation in the supreme court OF tn.
state. the United States, the various superior
courts Of the state and the circuit and district
courts az The United States together with seven
land Offices, they wisely authorized him to en-
ploy -si,tants before the different land Offices
whenever the necessity arose, and authorized
HIM - e@psnd IN this way sums not exceeiing
Ia SO mentioned in the statute But the entire
amount propriated has been expended only
IN two land offices. namely, ut seattla
and Olympia, where the contests haye
been 80 numerous that the amount
appropriated has been totally inadequate COM
psusation for The amount OF labor REQUIRED of
the assistants at these land Offices In the other
land Offices the amounts expended are a. fol.
lows; North Yakima, $50; spokane, s.75: Van.
couver, $50. Natergiile, $3.50: Wana Walia
The tv fnr