143

FCR.
File No. 1053.

May 2, 1907.

Sir:
This Department has the honor to acknowledge receipt of your letter dated April 27, 1907, relative to the request of Mr. B. F. Jones, of Independence, Oregon, for permission to use a portion of the Yaquina, Oregon, Light-House Reservation, upon which to erect a shoot-the-chutes, for the benefit of the summer visitors at the nearby resort.
In reply this Department begs the state, at the instance of the Light-House Board, to whom this matter was referred, that it is not deemed advisable, in the interests of commerce, to either lease or sell my portion of the Yaquina, Oregon, Light-House Reservation, and if at any time in the future this Department should think it desirable to permit the use of this reservation by private parties, it would be done to the highest bidder, after due advertisement, as is customary in such cases.
The state of Oregon, in the vicinity of the Yaquina Light-House Reservation, is rapidly settling up, the coastwise commerce is increasing, a coast line railway will probably be constructed in the near future, and local commerce will probably necessitate, sooner or later, the establishment of harbor lights upon the light-house reservation specified.
In view of these facts, this Department does not find itself able to grant the request of Mr. B. F. Jones for hte use of the