Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1905-05-31
LAND OFFICE TROUBLE
PRESIDENT AND SENATOR Full
TON AT ODDS.

The President and Senator Fulton of Ore
gon are at odds over the appointment of a
register of the land oBce at Roseburg
Ore. The President refuses to appoint
member of the state legislature by the
name of Dinmick to the vacancy existing
il that Office, and Senator Fulton states
that ne Will see that the nomination of
Secretary Hitchcock's candidate for the
office, a prominent Oregonian named Law
renee, is rejected by the Senate. The mis-
understanding over this particular matter
is made more acute by the demands of
Senator Fulton that the order of the Presi-
dent transferring the land office from Ore
gon City to Portland be rescinded. The
President refuses to rescind, and on July
l the Oregon City office will cease to exist.
he situation grows out of the acute
situation in Oregon as result of the land
fraud investigation that has been in pro-
gress there for the past two years. The
register of the land office at RoSeburg sep
arated himself from the service and left a
vacancy which the Secretary of the In
terror has been endeavoring to fill. A Mr..
Lawrence was recommended to him as one
OF the best men in the state tor the place.
The Secretary made an investigation OF MIR.
IaWrenceS qualifications for the Office and
found that he was not only capable and
good man in every way, but had the sup
port of a vast majority of the best-known
citizens of the state. The Secretary there
fore sent the name of Mr.. Lawrence to the
President and his recommendation was
equivalent to nomination. In the mean
time Senator Fulton had been getting busy
among his henchmen. He picked out Dim
mick as the proper man for the place. 1t
is said that Dimmick was one of the sena-
tors firmest supporters in the legislature,
and that his work was material in the cleo
ton of the senator. Dmmick's name was
sent to the President by Senator Fulton
with the recommendation that he be given
the vacant Roseburg registership.
The President declined to nominate Dim
mick and announced his intention of nom
mating Lawrence. Senator Fulton is said
to have declared that the nomination of
Lawrence will never be confirmed by the
Senate; that he will that it is not.
On top of this situation comes the Presi-
dents order abolishing the land office at
Oregon City and establishing one at Port
land This order was issued on the recon-
mendation of Secretary Hitchcock, who
acted in accordance with the wishes of a
majority of the people doing business with
the office. The change was made because
almost every one having business with the
Oregon City land office is compelled to go
through Portland to get to the Office, and
consequently required to travel many I'M
necessary miles. A petition was sent to
the Secretary by the citizens, asking that
the transfer be made, and after careful
investigation the executive order was pre-
pared and presented by the Secretary to
the President for signature. The President
signed it. authorizing the transfer to take
effect July l.
The situation just at present is very
much strained and unless something I'M
expected happens will remain strained.
Neither the President nor Secretary Hitch
cock will back down from their position
both as regards to the registership and the
transfer of the land office. The matter is
held, up for the time being, however. as
neither the appointment nor the transfer
become effective until July /.