The Seattle post-intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, Wash. Terr. [Wash.]) 1888-1914, 1896-04-20

Fourteen Townships in he wateryille
District Awaiting Action

Washington City. April Ia-Specia,-No
less than fourteen townships In the Wat
eryilie land district. which have been sur
veyed anywhere from one to five years,
are now pending in the general land ONCE
In this city awaiting final action The
settlers in that section are very anxious 10
know how these matters stand, and R. W.
Scott. register Of the land Office, has writ
ten to Representative Hyde, asking him TO
ascertain concerning these matters. While
there is no doubt that a great wrong Is
being perpstrated upon these people by
the failure to complete the work OF the
surveys and TO place the lands upon the
market, IL Is also clear. after the investi-
CATION in the general land Office that II is
not the fault of the government SO much
as IL is of the deputy Surveyors who have
been given these contracts and have failed
10 carry them out properly. When the
deputy makes his report q field examiner
Is sent out, who overlooks the work. and
whenever he ands that IL has been unsatis-
factorily done the deputy Is notified in
what particular he must correct his work
This he frequently does not do for a year
or more. having some other Job 10 COM
plete. and leaving the government work
10 be done at his leisure. In the meantime
the SURVEYS are suspended In the general
land office here. no action whatever being
taken until the deputy goes over the work
again and makes another report II this
should fail 10 be satisfactory he is gen
orally given another opportunity to cor
rect IL, and falling in this. the contract il
then declared void and new contract
must be let In such cases as these II is
not infrequent that five years elapse from
the first letting Of the contract until the
land Is finally thrown open 70 settlement
In the meantime the honest settler upon
the land frequently has 20 leave II in order
-HsA
necessaries OF life and for It's improvement,
and Is constantly in fear OF the Jumper"
one OF the officials Of the general land
Office remarked the other day that II,
might be good idea 10 suspend the con-
tractors instead of the contract as a
warning 10 other deputy surveyors who do
not do their work properly. OF the four
teen townships pending in the waterviIie
district the survey OF but one has bsan
allowed. township % in range -. The fol-
lowing surveys are being examined in the
field by special men sen, out from the de-
partTent here: Contract ses. Including
town ships r. 81 and *. in range =. and
contract As. township 2s range u Town
ships =, - and g. IN range x, were in
ciuded In contract No. s7s. let 70 DeKaIb
Ashley several years ago, which have
finally been completely rejected and -.w
contracts auth arized 10 ~ let for the
same. Township *. IN range - let 20 Dem
MY Surveyor Reynolds. IS pending because
no report has been received from Rev
aolfs- Township ~ IN range :. 1a- -
repu,y Surveyor Hooker. was susD.,4as
January y ISss. because or trxu~9rie,,
work. and Hooker is stni delfrousr-
Townships - - and &. n range 81. were
suspended February 81 iSss NJ II Frrs--
son has the contract for these last -h-ea
townships ard re has been notified VIA.
will he necessary 10 do 20 complete tha
work.