The Saint Paul globe. (St. Paul, Minn.) 1896-1905, 1900-12-22
DEAD and DOWN TIMBER
SECRETARY HITCHCOCK ANNOUN-
CES HIS DECISION ON THE
INDIAN CONTRACT
CAPT. MERCER IS SUSTAINED
Statement Says There Is Reason to
Suspect Pool at CrOOkstOn-
Weyerhaeuser Is
Silent.

WASHINGTON, Dec. e. = Secre tary
Hitchcock today had prepared a state
ment on the controversy of the dead
ahG down timb - contracts, after hear
ings for several days. The statement in
part follows:
ed the controversy over contracts made
by Capt. Mercer, Indian agent at the
Leech lake agency, for the sale of dead
on portions of that and the diminished
White Earth reservation. The secretary's
decision sustains at every point the ac-
ton. of Capt. Mercer.
Yesterday, before the noon adjourn
ment of the hearing, Secretary Hitch
cock made it apparent that he intended
pointedly to inquire into the recent pub.
lie sales of White Earth pine lands, at
the Crookston land Office, as Il matter
properly having a bearing upon the price
OF the dead timber sold by Capt Mercer.
when the gentlemen interested IN the
hearing reaSSembled in the Secretary's
office after lunch, Mr.. Weyerhaeuser was
not among them. The secretary express
ed surprise at his absence and asked to
have him sent for. Mr.. Weyerhaeuser's
representatives said they did not know
where to find him, and that he had ar
ranged to leave the city that evening
They showed no disposition to SECURE his
presence then or at any later time but
Secretary Hitchcock took the matter in
hand and adjourned the hearing until this
morning at $3.50, stating that he especial
ly desired the presence of WeyerhaeuSer,
and would be seriously disappointed If he
was not present at that time and ready
to respond to such inquiries as might be
propounded bearing upon these pine land
transactions.
AS result Mr.. Weyerhaeuser was pres
ent this morning; but in evident anti. 1pa
ton of the line of examination which the
secretary intended to pursue. Mr..
Thatcher announced that under no cir
cumstances would they make any state
ment or submit to any inquiries about the
sale of White Earth lands at the Crook
ston office. Secretary Hitchcock, how
ever insisted upon interrogating Mr..
Weyerhaeuser respecting this matter,
but the latter declined to make any re-
Spouse.
This refusal gives color to the informa-
ton which the secretary of the interior
has heretofore received, to the effect that
that the White Earth lands were largely
bought in by pool in which Mr.. Wey
erhaeuser is interested, the purpose of the
pool being to prevent competition and to
get lands below their actual value Sec
rotary Hitchcock informed Mr.. Weyer-
haeuSer and others present that the sales
of the White Earth lands at CrookSton
office would not be confirmed unless, upon
investigation, 1t was shown that the pur-
chaSeS were properly made on reaSona-
BILE valuation, and that the refusal of
Mr.. Weyerhaeuser or other purchasers
TO disclose the real situation would not
be conducive to an early approval of
these sales.
The fact that Mr.. Weyerhaeuser was in
one breath insisting that the sales of
DEAD tlmDer- by capt. Mercer should be
set aside because Weyerhaeuser' COM
pany was not willing, for the purpose
of breaking up those sales, to give a
higher price than that obtained and that
in the next breath he was objecting to
any inquiry respecting his purchase of
the White Earth pine lands at WHAT, it
is understood, is a grossly inadequate
price, evidently placed him in an uren-
viable light before Secretary Hitchcock,
and indicated that his protest against
Capt MERGERS sales was not made for
the public good
At the conclusion of the hearing, Sec
rotary Hitchcock firmly announced that
he was satisfied that Capt. MERGERS ac-
tin was in every respect commemorate;
approved, and that the protest was APP
parently presented only for the purpose
of disturbing and embarrassing Capt.
Mercer and the officers of the depart
ment in the administration of the law
relating to the sale of dead timber, and
ought not to be seriously considered.