Daily capital journal. (Salem, Oregon) 1903-1919, 1908-12-25
Attorney Gencral .rawIorI.

Attorney General A. NJ. Crawford,
who Is serving his second term In
that important office, 10 the fourth
gentleman TO hold that most import
ant position since II was created by
the legislature. and so we'll has he
done his work since coming TO the
office that he had no difficulty after
his first term To secure the renomi-
nation and reelection. He Is an In
dustrious and pains-taking official
and the rapid growth of the business
OF the state has made the office so
important and the work so volumi-
nous that every hour OF his time Is
taken up with the duties devolying
upon him and his office force.
Among the important litigations
conducted by the attorney general
for the state since assuming his OF
flee six years ago, only few cases
can be mentioned here owing TO lack
OF space In a publication OF this kind.
The case against the Portland Cen
eral Electric Company for the states
share OF the receipts OF the Oregon
City locks, was fought by him, op-
posed by the ablest counsel In the
state. through the courts and recent
~ he was rewarded by securing for
the state OF Oregon a decision against
the company defendant, and saving
for the state treasury n large sum
OF money which few believed would
ever be secured.
The boundary case between this
state and Washington, involving the
respective rights OF the states named
10 certain fisheries In the Columbia
river, was carried by him through
the federal courts and, again opposed
by able counsel. he succeeded In thor
oughly establishing the rights OF this
state and secured decision In the
supreme court OF the United States,
the highest judicial body In the
world, for his contentious and there
by winning a victory that will ever
be "A bright star In his already eX-
eellent record, and gives 10 Oregon
valuable fisheries
n his advice. when he was young
I'm the office. that the state land
board had no right 10 pay interest
ln the cases Of land spectators who
had purchased state lands and had
failed 10 get title. thereafter asking
for the return of payments made
with interest. the board refused 20
nay such interest and In this way he
was respousible for the saving tO the
state treasury OF thousands Of dol
lars Ills decision was found 40 be
based ON good law. and the interest
paymcuts stopped a drain ON the
treasury that had It's incipicncy Ina
the early history Of the board.
These are but few Of the import
ant cases handled by him and in
which he has made a record that VIII
long live Hundreds OF cases Of al
most equal importance have been
successfully prosecuted by him ana
almost invariably he has secured for
the state its legal rights and In near
ly an OF them has the state prOfited
largely By his untiring efforts.
Among the importan twOrk Of the
attorney general Is his appearance
for the state ia the supreme court ia
state cases that are appealed from
the circuit courts OF the various
counties. He helps the district at
torneys in briefing the cases. and
I'm almost every instance he assists IN
the arguments. so that this part OF
his work takes up quite a little OF
his time.
But II Is as the legal adviser OF the
state Officers and the various boards
and commissions that most valuable
work OF the attorney general Is done,
and little OF which comes 20 the no
tice o fthe public. His sdyice Is al
WAYS sought By the officers where
questions OF law are involved. aud
when given by him the advice has
always led the officials right
General Crawford is one Of the
most kindly Of men. a plain Ameri-