Evening star., 1932-08-28

With the enactment Of river and
harbor appropriation bill with its pro-
vision for the
Legal Issue Delays work Of re-
Flats Improvement. ftalpe Potomae fiats 4 at
and improving the river channels at
washington, and with the appointment
of Mai. Peter c. Hams as engineer IN
charge of the work the beginning OF
that important project so years ago
was checked only by the legal question
of title to the area to be redeemed from
tidal overflow. The Star OF August, SO'
1882, says:
Secretary Lincoln stated yesterday
afternoon that he had just received the
report of Mai Hains regarding his pro-
posed plan for the fats Improvement
and the expenditure OF money. upon
reading the paper, however, he found
that it was a letter submitted by MAJ.
Hains, through Gen. Wright, asking in
formation upon the question wnetner
the work of improvement could De
commenced before the right OF title 10
the Kidwell Meadows should be decided
In an accompanying paper Gen. wright
intimated that there are severa! otner
portions of land the titles of which are
unsettled and upon which 1t Is desired
to begin the work. Secretary Lincoln
told a Star reporter this morning thAs
his first impressions upon reading Us
paper were that, according to the a.
alogy OF law, the work could not -
commenced until the question OF tiths
was settled.
The River and harbor bill provides
that it is made the duty OF the Au0kS
ney General to examine all claims &
the title to the premises to be improved
under this appropriation, and see that
the rights of the Government in all re-
Spects are secured and protected; and,
II he deems It necessary, he Is author
lied to cause a suit. or suits, in law or
in equity, to be instituted in the name
of the United States, in the Supreme
Court of the District Of Columbia,
against any and all claimants OF title
under any patent which, in his opinion,
was by mistake or was improperly or
illegally issued to any part OF the
marshes or flats within the limits OF the
proposed improvement
The question now before him, the
Secretary said, is not whether the Gov
ernment can claim right to the dis
puted lands in question. but whether the
work of improvement can be COM
menced without first settling the ques-
ton as to titles and patents. He said
that on account Of the unusual public
interested manifested upon the subject
he Is very desirous of eXpediting the
work as much as possible and referred
the question at once to the Attorney
General to have it definitely settled. At
present the Secretary's opinion is that
the work should be delayed, but If the
Attorney General decides that the land
question need not interfere with the
work. he, the Secretary, will be very
happy to order Major Hams to begin the
Improvement at the very earliest date
possible, and to push 1t to the extent Of
his ability"
The Keely motor, which lured much
money out of the pockets Of credulous
Keely Promises to more than
Reveal Secrets. nIty years ago,
supposed to have been thoroughly dis
credited, was revived in the Summer of
1882, as the following in The STAY of
August 80 Of that year attesus:
THE Keely motor Is coming 10 the
front again. At a meeting of parties
interested. held in Philadelphia last
evening, the inventor announced that
he had at last overcome the diffculties
Of his invention, and that the work an
nlS motor was practically finished with
the exception of applying the power TO
the various machines to oe run by its
power. Thereupon the stockholders
present voted to present him with Al nm
cash and 800 shares of stock. Touched
by this generous evidence of confidence.
Mr.. Keely blandly promised to thor
oughly impart and explain all the
secrets Of his in;ention to Mr.. Boekel,
who was appointed by the court some
time ago, at the request of the stock
holders, to receive them. Thus every
thlng Is lovely once more. The only
drawback to the pleasing prospect is the
TACT that time so far away as the
tenth Of December is named as the day
when the great secret shall be revealed.
That date, according to the calendar.
rails on Sunday and a great many
things may happen meantime"