The daily sentinel., 1914-03-21
MESA COUNTY
MUST NOW PAY
FOR LUMBER
Secretary Of Interior Declares
There Gan be No COmpTO-
mise on De Beque Timber.
EFFORTS IN CAPITOL FRUITLESS

In spite Of the efforts of Senator
Shafroth and Congressman Taylor to
save Mesa county from paying sec
ond time for the timber taken unlaw-
fully from the government domain
the department OF Interior has finally
ruled that the county must pay the
amount OF the compromise agreed
upon, S2,1OO.
The county commissioners have re-
ceiyed a letter from A. A. Jones.
first assistant secretary of the in
terror. in which he rules that no re-
lief can be granted the county, and
the lumber must be paid for. Con-
gresham Taylor and Sen. Shafroth
have been doing everything possible
to help out the county. but the in
terror department officials We're firm
in their stand. having previously re-
fused a settlement with the Rio
Grande, The Producers association
at De Beque, and the Grand Valley
Irrigation Co, will both he forced to
pay under the decision The letter
of the assistant secretary OF the in
terror is as follows;
81 have the honor to acknowledge
your letter of February 2. 1914, in
closing a communication addressed
YOU by the present board of county
commissioners OF Mesa county, Colo
rado, in the matter OF n demand
made upon them by Mr. NJ. ID. Me
Entry, chief of Field Division at
Denver. Colorado, for settlement on
account of certain timber purchased
during the years 1911 and 1912 by
tie former board of county commits
sioners from ]. Guy Harrington and
William Morlock, which timber was
unlawfully cut by said Harrington
and Morlock from the public lands
in the Glenwocd Springs. Colorado.
district! The present commissioners
state that they are not advised as to
the extent the former board made
inquiries from the seller as 70 his uT
their legal title to said piling and
lumber Sold but they concluded
that as the material was all used up
ON the main highways within said
county and for the betterment Of the
public thoroughfare. the payment to
the government in the amount OF the
demand now made would work a
great hardship to the taxpayers OF
said county. and they asked the gov
tTnlntHl " olSSO itS Nldili anu ~
relieve Mesa county from further re-
sponsibility. it being an innocent
purchaser.
I'm reply | have to state that the
commissioner of the general land Of
flee advises me that the reports of
the trespasses committed by the said
Harrington, Morlock, and others
six cases in ALL involving many thou
sand feet of timber and railroad ties
have been carefully considered by
him in connection with an offer made
bv the Rio Grande-Junction Railway
company, the purchaser of all of the
ties cut by these trespassers, to pay
for same upon a stumpage valuation
therefor, and inasmuch as the cutting
OF the timber was shown TO have
been deliberate and wilful. for sale
and speculation only. the offer was
rejected. and Chief CT Field Division
NJ. D. McEniry was directed under
date of February I, 1914. to notify
the said railway company that it is
liable to the government for the pur-
chase price of the ties secured by il.
This ruling applies equally to all
who so purchased timber from these
trespassers.
This department has no discre-
tion as to the measure OF damages
due the government for such timber.
Tho decision rendered by the su-
Continued on Page 81