The Tacoma times. [volume] (Tacoma, Wash.) 1903-1949, 1917-05-05

JOE kJ0rco county IN LQe army post
project. today reported to the
board of county commissioners on
the progress of work up to May 1.
It was the first announcement
II any sort that has been made
public regarding the actual con-
domination plans. Speaking OF
the proceedings necessary to OBJ
tain the 7o,000-acre tract, he
wrote:
5000 Parties to Suit.
THE task before us was to get
the information and data to
bring the necessary parties into
court, and to present legal evil
dence to a jury SO that tract Of
land of approximately IL by IS
miles could be condemned. The
number of pieces of land to be
taken is approximately 1900, and
the number OF parties 5000. The
number OF miles to be travelled
by our witnesses or appraisers,
O. they are commonly called, will
be approximately 1000.
THE names OF the owner or
owners, together with others in
terested, for each and every sep
Arate parcel of the 800 must be
ascertained; each of the 5000
parties must be located II posi-
bic; value of each tract must be
determined by careful appraise-
ment and the improvements must
also be inspected and valued. This
will include the cruising of all the
timber. whatever its character.
Need for Haste.
''At any time this would be an
undertaking which, because of its
size, might require two years to
complete. With US, however, the
situation was much more complex
for the reason that the military
necessities of the United States
require that all of this land shall
be condemned in the very shortest
period of time. With us, 1t is not
the question, Can it be done?'
but instead, 1T must be done
ITO get the results within the
time required, and yet to do JUS
tice to the county and the land
holders, requires centralized
and efficient organization.
There cannot be any lost mo-
ton anywhere.
Plan of Campaign.
by March 10, the detail of the
plan had been worked out, and its
essential features we're presented
to you as a board, at which time
you authorised me to engage two
condemnation land experts.
1T was necessary for these men
to make a preliminary investiga-
ton of the whole tract for two
purposes; first, In order that we
might plan the number of suits
that we should bring, as the tract
IL so large that the mass of evil
dence would be altogether too
great to present to one jury; and
second, In order that we might
have the necessary information
available when the officer desig-
mated by Gen. Bell arrived to de-
termine Just what land was want
cd, and decide on the tracts which
might be eliminated, In accord
ance with our agreement with the
secretary of war.
Ready on Time.
1--WE were asked to have this in
formation ready by the week of
April %, and l am glad to report
that 1t was ready on that date.
'The important part of the
work was to make arrangements
to get the descriptions OF the land,
and the necessary parties to the
suit, which includes the owners of
the land and other parties inter-
ested and their judgment credi-
tors, the owners OF mortgages, the
holders. of leases, and all others
having any kind of an interest
in the land.
I'VE first prepared form sheets,
and put as large a force as could
be used at work in the office Of
the assessor to get the descrip-
tion of the lands, and such other
information as could be obtained
from the books of the assessor. In
the meantime we conferred with
the owners of the abstract plants
and worked out a system to be
used in obtaining the other neces-
sary data relative to the titles of
the land. Bids we're then asked
for from the abstract companies
SO that a contract could be en-
tered into by the board for the
work to be done by the abstract
company. This part OF the bust
ness was so timed that the alb
stractors took up their work the
day after the work in the assess
or's office was completed.
Office System.
THE progress which the alb
stract companies are making indi-
Gates that they will be able to
have their work done on time.
I'VE next worked out COM
plete office system of handling
the information obtained relative
to the titles and also the data,
which will be complied concerning
the land.
I'm the short time at our dis
posal 1t has required much search
to pick out the ideal person for
each part to be performed. So
far we have been very successful.
and in each case we feel that we
have found the right person for
each task. At the date of this re-
port our organization has reached
the point where we are doing the
maximum amount of work with as
,arva n force as will nermit eff