Page:Looters of the Public Domain.djvu/484

 Although Mr. Ballinger, while Commissioner of the General Land Office, undertook to make it very plain that it was his intention to investigate the different entries of public lands in the est before permitting patent to issue, and that in cases where there had been no protest or adverse report of a special agent within two years from the date of issuance of the final certificate, he would pass such entries to patent, it is apparent that he overlooked a great many things in the Siletz country. For instance, fraud reports had been made at different times by special agents of the General Land Office on the following entries, all within the two years after the issuance of final certificates:

Furthermore, in August and September, 1907, Acting Chief Neuhausen was directed by the Commissioner to cause field investigations to be made on fully fifty different Siletz entries, and under this authority, detailed Special Agent James D. Watts and Assistant William J. Mitchell to make such investigations. They were in the field fully six weeks, during which they inspected every claim that had been designated by the Land Department as subject to such consideration. While engaged in making out their reports, wherein it was shown that many of those under investigation had failed to comply with the laws governing the acquisition of the Siletz lands, an order came from Assistant Commissioner Dennett passing to patent a number of the claims then under investigation, without regard whatever to their fraudulent character. This act of the Land Department disgusted Special Agent Watts to such an extent that he forthwith tendered his resignation, and is now no longer in the Government service. Page 478