1871-1900 Yaquina Head Lighthouse Letter books

therefore unable to grant the request.

I then addressed a letter to the Secretary of War, making of him the same request that I had made of you, and on April 3rd, received a letter from the Assistant Secretary of War, stating that there was some question as to whether this Reservation was under the jurisdiction of the War Department, or the Department of Commerce and Labor. I was somewhat surprised at this and immediately addressed another letter to the Assistant Secretary of War and one to Assistant Secretary Murray, asking them to immediately make further investigation and notify me positively what Department had jurisdiction. It seemed to me that this ought to be a matter of record.

On April 8th, you replied to my letter, stating that the matter was under investigation and on April 12th you wrote me again to this effect:

"Site was transferred to the War Department October 24th, 1888, and upon receipt of the information contained in several endorsements by that Department upon a letter from Senator Gearin, dated March 23rd, 1906, to the effect that the War Department had no further use for the site, the Light House Board reassumed its control. On May 12th, 1906, the Reservation was transferred to the Treasury Department for the use of the LifeSaving Service subject to the future needs of the Light House Establishment.

"This Department also states that the Light House Board, after a careful examination of the locality, a consideration of a possible need to establish additional aids to navigation in the near future upon the Reservation, is of the opinion that it is not advisable either to sell or lease the Reservation, and in that opinion this Department concurs."

Under date of April 13th, the Assistant Secretary of War confirmed the transfer of the Reservation on May 12th, 1906, to the Treasury Department for the use of the Life Saving Service,

(Copy)

United States Senate. Washington, D.C.

April 27, 1907.

Hon. Oscar S. Straus,

Secretary of Commerce and Labor,

Washington, D. C.

My dear Mr. Secretary:

As I am informed in a letter dated March 4th, 1907, Mr. B.F. Jones, a prominent attorney of Independence, Oregon, is desirous of securing permission to occupy about half an acre of the beach of the Government Light-House Reservation at Newport, Oregon, officially know, I believe, as the Yaquina Light-House Reservation. He desires to erect at this point a shoot-the chutes, for the benefit of summer visitors at the nearby resort. Mr. Jones does not wish to secure any permanent rights on the Reservation, but merely wants a temporary privilege, agreeing to remove the chute whenever requested to do so by your Department.

I have had a good deal of correspondence in regard to this matter and up to the present time have met with no success. In order that you may understand exactly what has been done, I will give you the case briefly.

I made a personal request of you, as above stated, on March 4th, 1907. Under date of March 8th, Assistant Secretary Murray advised me that this Reservation had been transferred in 1888 to the War Department for its use until needed by the Light-House Board. He stated that the Department of Commerce was therefore unable to grant the request.

I then addressed a letter to the Secretary of War,

making of him the same request that I had made of you, and on April 3rd, received a letter from the Assistant Secretary of War, stating that there was some question as to whether this Reservation was under the jurisdiction of the War Department, or the Department of Commerce and Labor. I was somewhat surprised at this immediately addressed another letter to the Assistant Secretary of War and one to Assistant Secretary Murray, asking them to immediately make further investigation and notify me positively what Department had jurisdiction. It seemed to me that this ought to be a matter of record.

On April 8th, you replied to my letter, stating that the matter was under investigation, and on April 12th you wrote me again to this effect:

"Site was transferred to the War Department October 24th, 1888, and upon receipt of the information contained in several endorsements by that Department upon a letter from Senator Gearing, dated March 23rd, 1906, to the effect that the War Department had no further use for the site, the Light-House Board reassumed its control. On May 12th, 1906, the Reservation was transferred to the Treasury Department for the use of hte Life Saving Service subject to the future needs of the Light-House Establishment.

"This Department also states that the Light-house Board, after a careful examination of the locality, a consideration of a possible need to establish additional aids to navigation in the near future upon the Reservation, is of the opinion that it is not advisable either to sell or lease the Reservation, and in that opinion this Department concurs."

Under date of April 13th, the Assistant Secretary of war confirmed the transfer of the Reservation on May 12th, 1906, to the Treasury Department for the use of the Life Saving Service, subject to the future needs of the Light-House Establishment.

I again wrote the Secretary of the Tresury, asking if he would be willing to authorize Mr. Jones to leas a portion