The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1904-02-21
FORT DOUGLAS
To BE CEDEO
Governor to Give Government
Regulation Jurisdiction.
FEDERAL LAW OVERLOOKED
THAT'S WHY WORK ON IN
PRovEMENTS WAS STOPPED.

Governor Heber II. Wells on Tuesday
win cede to the United states govern
nent the Fort Douglas military reser-
walton. The deed was received by him
yesterday from Secretary Of War WI
liam II. Taft. tt is expected, and so
understood at the fort and eisew here
in the city, that the ceding Of the res
ovation viii Immediately be followed
by an order from Secretary Taft direct
ing a resumption of work upon the i'm
proyements now under way at the post.
Work upon them was stopped some
weeks ago by an order Of the secTe-
tary Of war when he learned that the
reservation had never been coded to
the government by the state. Since
then negotiations have been going on
between Secretary Taft, Senator Reed
Snoot and Secretary of State James 7.
Hammond and Governor Wells looking
TO the transfer Of the reservation and
the REIMBURSEMENT on the part Of the
state Of certain jurisdiction which it
now enjoys.
Government Title Not Clear.
There is law or rule with the gov
eminent that it win not acquire sites
for public buildings or other federal
purposes until the state in which the
improvement is TO be made first cedes
il to the United States. It seems that
with the Fort Douglas reservation q
transfer was not made or provisions
made for it when Utah became state
The mistake was not discovered until
a short time ago.
The war department made the disCOv-
cry. Work upon the barracks and 9th
l. r improvements at the post was imme-
diateIy stopped. Secretary Taft took
the matter up with Senator Smoot He
/ correspondent with Governor Wells con-
/ corning the matter. It was then dis
covered that the last legislature had
| provided for the ceding Of the reserva-
tiOn but there the matter ended. The
{ law reads as follows:
Section /. Jurisdiction ceded L niteC
States for public buildings. JURISDICTION
! is hereby Ceded to United States in, to anc
! over any and all lands or territory within
I this state which have been or may bs
/ hereafter acquired BY the United states
T for the purpose Of sites for pubic Dultd'
4 ings, of every kind whatever, author
Z lied by act OF congress, the SLdLS- now
[ ever. reserVinE the authority to execute
/ its process, both criminal and civil, WIN
I in such territory.
/ Section 2 Governor to execute cession
/ The governor is hereby authorized ant
! empowered to execute all proper con
! veyances in the cessi0u herein granted
I upon the request of the said Unite(
/ States, or proper officers thereof. when
I ever any land shall have been acquired
I for such purpose.
VIII Sign Papers Tuesday
The existence Of the law was Gale,
/ TO the attention of Senator Smoot, WIT
laid it before Secretary Taft. The let
/ ter received yesterday by Governor
/ Wells from the secretary says that ;
! cediug under the provisions of the law
] viii be satisfactory. Enclosed was
{ set of papers for the governor to sign
! He notified Secretary of state Ham
mOnd yesterday that he would aff1X hi
J signature to the paers on Tuesday
/ When Utah was g territory the gov
/ eminent had immediate jurisdiction
over all public lands. Conditions wer
| changed when Utah became a state
I Certain powers of the federal govern
/ ment slipped from its hands and be
/ vame vested in the authority of tn
/ state They were applicable TO mill
/ tary reservations as well. Those Juris
I dictions are opposed by the govern
/ ment, whether they apply to building
/ sites or military reservations
When the state cedes the reservation
J Tuesday it win relinQuish all its pres
ent Jurisdiction excepting those SpeCi
( ned in the law passed by the legisla
ture. Then. it Is promised that WOr
upon the improvements viii be conttn
ued.