1871-1900 Yaquina Head Lighthouse Letter books

Department of Commerce and Labor OFFICE OF THE SECRETARY Washington

1053 September 17, 1907.

Gentleman: In accordance with the Board's indorsement of the 14th instant, the Department accepts the resignation of Frank M. Plummer as keeper of Yaquina Head Light-Station, Oregon, $800 per annum, effective at the close of September 30, 1907.

Yours very respectfully, Lawrence O. Murray Assistant Secretary.

The Light-House Board.

United States Senate Washington, D.C. April 6, 1907.

Hon. Lawrence O. Murray, Assistant Secretary, Department of Commerce and Labor.

Dear Sir:

On March 8th I received a letter from you in reply to a letter which I addressed to the Secretary on March 4th, asking that permission be granted Mr. B.F. Jones to use a part of the light-house reservation at Newport, Oregon. you then advised me that your Department had been informed by the Light-House Board that this reservation was transferred in 1888 to the War Department for its use until need by the Light-House Board, and, therefore, you were not able to grant the request.

I then took up the matter with the Secretary of War and today received a letter from Hon. Robert Oliver Shaw, Assistant Secretary, stating as follows:

"It appears from the report of the engineer authorities that there is some question as to whether or not this reservation is under the jurisdiction of the War Department or the Department of Commerce and Labor, and pending the solution of that question, the War Department does not feel at liberty to grant any privileges on the property."

I would be very greatly obliged if you would have the Light-House Board go into this question carefully and then decide whether or not the Newport Reservation is properly under your jurisdiction or that of the War Department. I have made a similar request of Secretary Oliver, and sincerely trust that some definite decision may be reached in the near future, as I am anxious that the application of Mr. Jones be passed upon at an early date. I assume that he would like to have this privilege

Hon. Lawrence O. Murray, -2.

at the beginning of the summer, and I would like to accommodate him.

Very truly yours,

Jonathan Bourne