Daily capital journal. (Salem, Oregon) 1903-1919, 1914-01-30
land GRANT TITLES
WILL NOT FARE WELL
Departments at Washington Oppose
Resolution, and Its Author is Not
Backing It Up.
TOTAL OF $4,000 CLAIMS OF
VALUE ARE INVOLVED IN CASE
Professional Locators Have Reaped a
Rich Harvest in Luring People to
the Tracts.
UNITED pnnss LEASED WIRE.


Washington, an. 30.-The interior de-
partment and the department Of agri-
culture have reported adversely to con-
gress on the joint resolution introduced
by Senator Lewis, of Illinois, proposing
in effect to confirm the title of all per-
sons who, with the aid of locators,
have filed on or sought to enter lands
embraced within the Oregon & Califor-
MIA railroad grant.
These adverse reports alone would
be sufficient justification for tabling
the Lewis resolution, but Senator Lew
is, in introducing the resolution, marked
it for the junk pile when he indorsed it
as being introduced by request "a
term used in congress to indicate that
the author of the measure intends that
it shall not receive consideration.
Prosecution Promised.
The introduction of the resolution and
the attitude assumed by the depart
ments, however, serve once more to at
tract public attention to the activities
of the locators, and it now develops
that it has been the purpose of the in
terror department and the department
of justice for more than six months
past to procure evidence against the
locators who have been active in plac-
ing people on or inducing them to file
on Oregon & California grant lands,
with view to prosecuting those of
them who have resorted to fraudulent
methods.
The records of the government de-
partments disclose the fact that be-
tween $4,000 and $4,000 claims to
Oregon & California lands would be ap-
proved if the Lewis resolution were
passed by congress, and the only re-
quirement would be that the claimant
pay the government $3.50 an acre for
each acre filed on.
1t moreover appears that profession
al locators who were instrumental in in
ducing the filing of nearly $4,000 claims
have reaped fine harvest, their To-
eating fees to date having aggregated
more than $1,0OO,OOO in the Oregon 6
California railroad cases alone.
Reames Ordered to Act.
District Attorney Reames at Port
land has been authorized by the depart
ment of justice to take steps to prose-
cute locators who have been defraud-
ing innocent persons in connection with
Oregon & California lands, such author
ity having first been given under date
of July 81, 1913. The department Of
justice meantime has been advising all
persons applying there for information
that ono one can safely make any con.
tract with the railroad company, and
that no department Of the government
has authority to make disposition Of
these lands. In a letter to Mr.
Reames, which he was authorized to
make public, the department of justice
said:
"Every effort should be made not
only to prosecute those guilty Of
frauds in connection with this matter
but also to inform the public fully to
the end that the practice of such
frauds may be rendered as difficult as
possible"
It was never the intention Of con
gress to seek forfeiture of any lands
which had been sold in strict accord
ance with the terms Of tho origina
grant to actual settlers in quantities
not exceeding 100 acres and at a price
not exceeding $3.50 an acre. Congress
dealt Only with lands sold contrary t.
law, or which have been withheld
from sale altogether.
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