The Washington times., 1907-05-20
TO PUNISH UTAH FOR
A FRAUD ON THE U. So
CONTINUED from First Page.)

Goal Company. which had fraudulently
acquired It. to the Government.
1t is not the policy Of the DEPART
ment to recommend immunity to offend-
eIs who return their plumber" said an
VOhclai. ON the other hand, when the
Iacts that have been developed by in
fSpectorS warrant prosecution we ALWAYS
send them 70 the Department of Jus
vice with the recommendation that pros-
secutiop be instituted"
FOLLOWING the example Of the Union
APacihc Coal Company which is simply
- subordinate corporation Of the Union
fPacihc rOad-the holders of a great
ssarea OF rich coal lands in Routt county,
col, have just arranged TO return these
eholdings 70 the Government without
Fcontest. There are millions Of dollars
worth Of coal in these lands. and the
people-mostly residents Of the East
who had secured them had completely
corncred the coal supply Of a great
tregio1. These lands were first taken
~by the process of dummy entries
Prosecuting Forester.
There is one person whom the Gov
eminent prosecutors are determined to
make an example, at any expense. be-
cause Of his activity in managing land
transactions. This Is Robert Forester
of Salt Lake City, geologist for the Col
OradO Fuel and Iron Company. a man
OF wealth. and a scientist of great abil-
1ty and experience. Forester Is alleged
TO have had much to do with the Col
0rado Fuefs acquisition Of coal lands
IN one case an Inspector reported that
FORESTER made affidavit that certain
lands were underlaid with coal His
clients failed to get them as coal lands
and later Forester made affidavit that
they we're nOn-mineral lands. Under the
nOn-mineral affidavit they were turned
over to the State Of Utah and bv II
promptly passed on to big coal com
pany.
Part Played by Utah.
This was the method by which the
Pleasant Valley company and its sue
acessor. the Utah Fuel Company. got
much OF their coal lands. The State of
Utah, by making a proper showing.
supported by affidavit. that certain
+ lands were nOn-mineraI. would have
them patented to IL by the Government.
The af1davits would commonly be pro-
+ cured by the coal company agents.
{ These lands would then be turned over
by the State to the coal concerns and
presently would be producing coal at a
rate altogether phenomenal for non
mineral land. Whether there is recourse
against the State Of Utah, the Govern
ment Is hot on FOrrester's train He
mas accumulated indictments from three
or four States
The big railroads are largely in con-
ftroi Of the coal companies that have
.been employing these methods When
r1he Chicago. Milwaukee and St Paul
decided to build TO the coast II natural
py wanted to equip itself with a supply
gOf coal. Last January a lot Of entries
'of coal lands were made in southeast
rern Montana, on the proposed route Of
This road, by people from Michigan and
{. wisconsin. These entries are now under
investigation with the view to deter
mining whether they were made I'm good
i1aith Prosecutions are expected.
New Mexico, Colorado, Utah. and
Wyoming are the scenes of the greatest
;present activity in coal land prosecr-
lions. Forest and coal land prosectl-
lions are going on IN Montana, and
many forest lOoting cases are on in
Dregnn and Washington.