The Hood River glacier. (Hood River, Or.) 1889-1933, 1893-07-01
FROM WASHINGTON CITY.

Acting Land Commissioner Powers has
rendered II decision in which he orders
Cancelled on the ground Of fraud and coli
Iusi0n about twenty.tLrcc timber and
stone entries OF valuable timber lands in
the Vancouver land district, Wash, and
now held by j. II, Montgomery Of Port
land, Or, 10 whom the lands were trnng-
lerred Immediately after final proofs
we're made.
The board, consisting Of engineers Of
the army and three engineers from civil
life, appointed 20 examine and report
upon tho feasibility Of boat railway or
some other method Of improved nayiga-
tion at The bullcs has submitted t4 re-
port to the War Department. Up to the
present time the department has refused
10 make it public, because the report was
ordered by Congress and, il IL claimed,
must be made public in Congress.
Enough is learned about il, however, TO
know that the boat-railway proposition
has received black eye; also the canal,
which, IL IL claimed would cost too much
money. The only scheme recommended
by the board II said TO be a portage rail
way. 1t will be almost impossible for
the Oregon delegation in Congress TO
oycrturn this report,
The Department Of State has not been
informed Of the reported purpose Of the
Chinese government 10 retaIate upon
the United States, evidenced by the re-
ported prohibition OF the purchase, use
or sale Of American kerosene in the PROV
ince Of Annoy. Even il there has been
such prohibition, it il not believed at
the department that it can be regarded
AZ measure adopted in II spirit of retail
iatiOn, but rather as m exhibition OF the
extremely conservative character Of the
Chinese. whose resistance to such an in
noyation IA the use OF kerosene may
have been strengthened by some recent
casualties, Moreover, it il q fact that
mere NlcerOy Of a province would scarce
~ bc authorized TO institute policy Of
retaliation, which would rather be initi-
ated by the imperial government itself
Secretary Smith was asked the other
day what would be the probable policy
OF the Interior Department in reference
to the approval OF lists Of Northern Pa
cidc lands under the grant which was
not earned in the time specified, but vet
TO (Which the company assumes title. The
Secretary seemed to he Of the opinion
that, the lands having been earned, the
would undoubtedly be entitled
to them, and that in the approval Of the
lists, unless the statutes said that they
could not be approved il not earned in
time, he supposed that he should not
take that question into consideration.
He intended TO follow the law, no matter
what the assumption might be of parties
He added: There il no
doubt that the building OF the road was
Il great improvement. 1t has been of
vast benefit to the country, and the gov
crnment has had the advantage OF sell
ing its lands, and the country has been
settled and developed OF course the
road has been built and the lands have
been earned. shall look into the law
on he subject before making approval,
and snail act on the law, whatever it is"
ltwas suggested that quite a large party
in Congress was anxious to forfeit these
lands. The Secretary said that he had
heard of it, but that he would have to
follow the law Congress had enacted
rather than anything that may be in
prospect. The probabilities are that the
lists will be approved and any efforts
made to forfeit the lands will be defeated
by the Democratic administration, as it
seems to be regarded that the road, even
Il it did not complete its line in the time
specified, made every effort to do so, and
ts intention was amply shown from the
TACT that the road was really built.