The Political Ousting of Register Krutz
After months of local controversy, the U.S. Land Office in North Yakima sees a shakeup in leadership.
The story, cleaned up
A cleaned-up reading of the newspaper page: spelling and layout repaired, one story lifted off a crowded page. It follows the original closely but it is not a transcription. The original page is below; read it if a detail matters.
It is with much gratification that The Herald is enabled to announce that Ira M. Krutz has been removed from the registership of the U.S. land office for this district. The announcement was contained in the dispatches of Monday, and his successor is Hon. E. K. Nichols, who will enter upon the discharge of his duties with the good will of all parties. The change will be hailed with general satisfaction. Mr. Krutz is not only personally unpopular, but in an official sense he has been looked upon with distrust by some settlers who have endeavored to honestly acquire land from the government, and it has even been openly charged that he has maneuvered to keep back the issuance of patents through selfish, if not dishonest, motives. Mr. Krutz claims to be a democrat, but the democrats are not only pleased with the change, but they had formulated a petition asking for Mr. Krutz’s removal. The action of the president fell like a thunderclap on Mr. Krutz. He had repeatedly promised to resign, but had violated every pledge and was pulling every string within his reach to hold on. His dismissal was unknown to him up to Tuesday afternoon.
“The action of the president fell like a thunderclap on Mr. Krutz.”
Land office politics were central to the early development of Yakima. While modern residents may not deal with the U.S. Land Office, the tension between appointed federal officials and local settlers over land rights and 'dishonest' gatekeeping reflects the timeless struggle over who controls the growth and accessibility of a developing city.
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