Daily capital journal. (Salem, Oregon) 1903-1919, 1915-09-01
COMMITTEE MEETS TO
MAKE PRELIMINARY
PLANS Of CONFERENCE
Land Grant Conference Will
Begin Business With a Rush
Is Present Plan

The first meeting of the committee
on procedure to prepare a preliminary
program for the conference to be held
in this city Thursday, September Is,
to discuss the disposal of the Oregon
California railroad lands now involved
in the federal courts was held this
morning at the office of Governor
Withycombe. The committee on pro.
cedure was composed of Governor
Withycombe, W. |. Vawter, of Medford
who acted as temporary chairman; W.
Lair Thompson, of Klamath Falls; F.
VI. wilkins, of Eugene E. j. Stack, of
Portland; C. C. Chapman, of Portland;
A. c. Marsters, of Roseburg; Grant
Dimick, of Oregon City, and w. H.
Newell, of CASTOR.
The committee met to perfect a tenn
porary organization in order that no
valuable time might be lost in getting
down to business when the general con,
ference was called, September l6. The
committee drafted a tentative order of
business after selecting the officers of
the committee, w. I. Vawter, chairman,
and C. c. Chapman, secretary, as the
temporary officers of the convention.
The tentative order of business was,
first, the call to order by the temper.
ary chairman, second, the chairman to
explain the procedure of the committee,
third, appointment of a committee on
credentials, four, explanation of the oh.
iect of the convention by the COVER
nor, fifth, an address by Attorney
General Brown on the legal aspects of
the land grant cases and the exact sta
tus of the rights of the state in the
questions involved. With this order of
business disposed of it was considered
that the matter would be fairly started
and the meeting could be given over to
a general discussion of the matter by
the delegates present and the reprc
sentatives of the different sides of the
controversy.
1t was the general concensus of opin-
ion of the committee today that the
principal question to decide was
whether the fee simple title to the
lands was vested in the railroad or
whether the railroad simply had an
equity in the lands Of $3.50 an acre
and all agreed that the best interests
OF the state and its people would be
served by throwing the land open to
settlers and fastening tine settlement of
the land In the different counties of
the state where these 0. & C. lands are
located As Senator Thompson put it.
u was not a question of money par.
tlcularly at this time but one of get
ting the land settled in order that if
might become productive
The committee on credentials will
5ohslst OF nine members selected by Mr.. |
Nawter the chairman of the commit.
lee on procedure. There are Is conn. |
ties IN this state in which these rail.
road lands are located but it was con.
'idered that a committee of is men
would be unwieldy and only every other
'ounty Will be represented on the com.
nittee.
At the conference which will he
leld IN the hall of representatives Sen.
.Semoer 10 invitations to take part If
ne proceedings have peen issued 70 tbe 4
''N' " 'ie
members Of congress and of the leeis.
azure, heads Of federal departments
ne county court of every county en-.
'faclng Oregon-C California lands has
'eeh invited to appoint five represen.
suVes' one of whom shall represent
ne court, one at least shall be chosen
Is representative of an accredited tov
ayers organization, and one at least
u Il community or commercial organiza.
lon' me county court of every comfy
'USI1g no O.-C. grant lands has been
r, rsNed TO appoint one representative
me state federation of labor. tbe stoto
range and the farmers union have
. ,atn DeeG invited to appoint ten dele.
gates to be selected from counties am.
'r1clng O..C. lands. The Oregon do.
.elopment league, the state banking MS.
'oelation and the state press associa. %
ioh nave each been asked to onno;n,
nlee delegates, to be chosen from cnnn.
.es embracing O.-C, lands. ANY Other
late,Wlde accredited organization bav.
ug uifcet interest in the questions in.
owed may be eligible for represen.
oton' at the discretion of the commit.
st 5,o ON procedure. The Southern Pacific
'olltoad company has been asked 70 ho
e,pfeSented to state its case as il soos
~ a',,,, ana to offer such suggestions rs