The Washington times., 1903-01-14
SURVEYOR GEN. DISTIN
MUST ANSWER CHARGES
OF PECULIAR" DOINGS
Alaskan Official Said to Be
incompetent.
INVESTIGATION PDAYED FOR
Miner Affant Asst It's That Illegal Fees
Are Exacted in Conduct of
Land lUTveys.

Charges have been fled with Secretary
Hitchcock, Of the Department Of the In
terror, against ". L. Distin. surveyor
general Of the district Of Alaska. he is
charged with 'fncompetency" and pc
cuIfar practices. and the petitioner re
quests that a special agent of the Inte-
rior Department bc sent at once to in
qlire into the staten V.ts made concern
ing the accused official.
The papers In the case were fled yes
terday by Volney T. Hoggatt. an attor-
ney-at-law, qualified TO practice before
the Interior Department. in behalf of
the afhant, George N. Esterly, a citizen
OF Valdez. Alaska, q former resident of
Washington and who has been visiting
relatives here for the past two months
while looking after certain legislation
for his district
Alleged Illegal Practices.
The charges filed emanate from Ger
tain alleged peculiar practices of the
surveyor general in directing applicants
for land surveys TO a law firm IN which
MS son is a partner. and the exacting Of
various sums Of money as fees to "expe-
dite' matters. The bill ''pTays that an
Investigation be made into the conduct
of the affairs of she Office of the sur
veyor general within and for the district
OF Alaska; and that special agent Of
the Interior Department be sent TO the
Office in question 10 examine into the
charges filed herewith, and that If the
said charges are sustained that the said
William l. Dustin he removed from Of
fee
Under oath Mr.. Esterly says that he is
a miner and has lived in Alaska for the
past I've years. and that ne and his as
sociates have had much business before
the surveyor general. He charges that
the practice OF she surveyor. general for
tl.e past tgc lars feis.tipe TO tlge survey ;
OF the public lands Of Alaska have been
questionable. As an instance, he says
that the surveyor general advised per
sons having surveys 70 be approved to
first take them to the law firm Of GueT-
ney & Distin, the last named member be-
ing son Of the surveyor general. and
that the surveyor general says that by so
doing the approval Of the surveys in
question viii be expedited" Mr.. Ester
~ saws that no law Of Congress provides
I for the consultation named but that the
firm demands a fee of $3.50 or more for
securing the facilities" in question.
"To Facilitate Matters"
The af1ant also charges that applI-
cants are made to believe by the surveyor
general that the advice Of the law firm
carries great weight with the surveyor
/ general, and that this practice has been
carried on ever since 1900 He cites that
a partner. Fred F Keyes, applied for a
survey of thirty-four acres in 1901, and
that the surveyor. general told Keyes that
"iu order to facilitate matters it would
/ he wise to see Mr.. Guerney, as ne was so
familiar with the land laws" Keyes did
I 80. tut Guerney charged him $50 for his
I services. Keyes paid the money reluc-
tautIy, as ne considered the fee exorbi-
tsnt
/ another instance alleged of peculiar
practice" is the application Of Philip A
/ Blumaur, who asked for a survey OF
! eighty acres and was likewise referred
+ to Mr. Guerney and compelled TO pay a
! fee of 5000 Mr. Esterly swears he is
/ in communication with numerous other
residents of Alaska who have been like
wise imposed upon by the surveyor gen
eraI in directing them TO see Mr. Guer-
nc'-.
Advice UnimpOTtant
/ In his statements he uses the word
/ facilitate" which he charges the sur
/ ing The applicants to Mr.. Guerney. Il
/ has been his experience, he says. that