The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1909-11-10
PUBLIC LANDS SCANDAL.

Sensational to degree are the
charges made in Golfers by L. r.
CLAWS, former Grief of the field division
of the general land office, to the effect
that an attempt is being made to de-
fraud the government out of exceeding
ly rich mineral lands In Alaska and that
Mr.. Ballinger, secretary of the interior
in the Taft cabinet. is in colfusion with
the syndicate which has such nefarious
designs Mr.. Ballinger contents him.
self with a general denial Of the
charges and points out that they are
but a repetition Of those which were
presented to President Taft, who
found them lacking. 1t was this same
CLAWS who made these charges to the
president and his failure to substanti-
ate them cost him a fat federal position
which he had been holding for seven
years. That there Is piqne behind his
continued pressing of the charges there
can be no doubt. But they seem to
take on an added significance in view
of the fact that it was only the other
day when DIR. Eliot. president emeritus
Of Harvard university and gentleman
Of unquestioned integrity, sounded an
alarm in his capacity as president OF
the National Conservation association
against the threatened monopolization
of the coal lands of Alaska by the big
corporate and moneyed interests of the
country. And where there is SO much
smoke on one subject the people are
bound to form the idea that there is
considerable fire.
Mr. Balinger has replied to much
of the criticism which has been leveled
at him heretofore. for his reversal of
a. variety of orders in connection with
government lands which were issued
under the Roosevelt regime,
that he has been steering
| his course within the confines
of the law. He has intimated that his
predecessors went trifie beyond the
law in some instances in their jealous
ness to conserve the natural resources
of the nation. In the dismissal of the
CLAWS charges, too. President Taft
pointed out that the laws on these most
important subjects are inadequate and
that he would use his energies to have
congress strengthen these laws at the
first opportunity. This really seems to
be responsible for much of the trouble
| in the present instance. The public
land laws of the United States appear
to have been drawn in the first place
/ so that the rank and file of the peo-
pie of the nation could be buncoed out
| of their heritage, the valuable mineral
lands with which this country is bless
| ed. The land laws of Alaska are worse
as DR.. Eliot points out. Mr.. Bailinger
contends that he has to interpret the
laws as he finds them. This is proha-
bly, true but there is more to the
CLAWS charges than is expressed in
this particular feature of the case.
One thing is certain. The coming con-
gress ought to lose no time in SO
amending the land laws which prevail in
the United States proper and also in
Alaska that the righteousness of
corporations and individuals in regard
to public lands can be legally checked.
This is very important matter for the
future welfare Of the country. Certain
ly individuals and corporations with
friends at court ought not to be per-
mitted to rob the people Of their valu-
able mineral lands through defective
laws or otherwise