The Ogden standard. [volume] (Ogden City, Utah) 1902-1910, 1909-09-16

Albany, n Y. Sept. 15.-President
latt has eXoneratcd Secretary of tho
interior Balinger in the matter OF the
charges filed by L. r CLAWS, chief
OF the field division OF the general
land Office, In connection with the
cunningham coal land claims in Alas
ka- In statement given out today
inc president declares Mr. CLAWS case
embraced only "shreds OF suspicion
without clrcumstantial evidence" Mr.
Taft also grants Secretary Ballinger's
request for authority 10 dismiss Mr..
CLAWS from tho service for unjustly
impcaching the official integrity OF his
superior officer" and takes occasion
to review evidence in the so'called
water power trust" and other cases
TO refute the charges that the sec
rotary OF the interior Is out oC SYM
pathy with tho policy of the admins
tratlon In favor OF the conservation
OF natural resources.
The statement, which in the form of
letter 10 Secretary Ballinger, writ
ten before President Taft loft his
summer home at Beverly, follows:
MY Dear Slr:-On the 18th day of
August, last, Mr.. l.. r, CLAWS. chief
Of the field division of the general
land office, with headquarters At
Seattle. called upon me here and sub
mittcd a statement or report relating
to the conduct OF the interior depart
ment and particularly 10 the action of
yourself. Assistant Secretary Pierce,
Commissioner of the General Land OF
flee bennett. and Chief Of Field Ser
vice Schwartz. in reference TO the so
called Cunningham group OF coal land
claims in Alaska Mr. CLAWS report
docs not formulate his charges, but
by insinuatiOns and inuendo as well rs
by direct ayerment, he does charge
that each one of you while a public
officer has taken steps 10 aid the
Cunningham claimants secure patents
on claims that YOU know or have rea-
son to believe fraudulent and unla%-c
full
After reviewing the whole record'
the president says:
In your answer YOU request 10 dis
charge Mr. CLAWS for disloyalty TO his
superior officers In making faisc
charge against them. You are there
fore authorized to dismiss L. r. CLAWS
lot uuJuSAlN lul'fdCuiu6 VIC piiiNi''
integrity OF his superior officers.
As to Natural Resources.
81 can not close this letter without
referring 10 certain other matters con
nected with your conduct of the inter
lor department. which hayc been un-
fairly used in the public press to sup
port a general charge that YOU arc
out OF sympathy with the declared
policy OF this administration following
that OF President Roosevelt In favor
of the conservation of natural re-
sources. especially In connection with
the coal lands. with water power sites
and with the system of reclamation o.
arid lands, which are all within the
jurisdiction OF the interior depart
ment
Friend OF Conservation.
IN my judgment he is the best
friend OF the policy of conservation
who insists that every step taken In
that direction should be within the
law and buttressed by legal authority.
lnslstence on this Is not inconsistent
with the whole hearted and bona fide
interest and enthusiasm In favor of
conservation From my conferences 2
with YOU and from everything ] know
in respect to the conduct of your de-
partment, ] am able TO say that you
arc fully in sympathy with this admin /
istration's attitude in favor of the con
seryation OF national resources"