The Spokane press. [volume] (Spokane, Wash.) 1902-1939, 1909-11-29
john [. MATHEWS TELLS IN
HAMpToN'S MAGAZINE or
the LooTiNo OF THE PUB
Lie DOMAIN.

HAMPToN's MAGAZINE or
THE LOoTiNo OF THE PUB
Lie DOMAIN.
1.-THE Spokane Press, by special
arrangement with Hampton's Maya
zine, today publishes o digest of
John L. Matthew'S story on the loot.
ing Of the public domain. OF the
many articles that have been writ
ten about the "Ballinger contro-
versy," lehat Of Mr.. Mathews Is by
Tar the>1host succinct and easy Of
understanding. It sets forth the
whole matter clearly and without
| flourish, with a wealth of illustra-
tive incident.-Editor.)
Mr.. Mathews begins his story OF
The National Grab Bag" with his
/ tory Of the Hill-Harriman struggle
for the Des Chutes river and the
part taken therein by Mr.. Ballinger.
Mr.. Mathews shows how Mr.. Bal.
linger, three weeks after he took
office, gave away the flood plane
Of the Des Chutes river to the rail-
roads, thus depriving the people of
Oregon of ONE MILLION HORSE
POWER, worth $4,000, 900 year,
and water sufficient to irrigate
400,0 900 acres. This vast source of
wealth was taken from the people
and given to the railroads that they
might save a half q million apiece
In the construction Of their tracks
Mr.. Mathews had an. interview
with Mr.. Ballinger In which the sec.
rotary of the interior justified his
action on the grounds that 1t was
for the best interests of the west
and assured speedy development
that might otherwise be delayed.
Mr.. Mathews, after showing Mr..
Ballinger's connection with the Des
Chutes river donation. takes up the
case Of Alaska, subject not apart
from water power. and very much
connected with the classification of
ouSsnatural resources.
Cunningham Case.
Mr.. Mathews tells Of the discov-
cry of Carbon mountain, back Of
Controller bay, by Clarence Cum
bingham; of his success in inter-
esting men OF wealth in his find
and his securing their powers of
attorney to file on these coal lands.
Cunningham filed on 80 claims, or
$3.50 acres, and everything was
ready for the organization of a
corporation when President Roose-
welt secured the passage of law
which would make such action H.
legal and subject the claims to for
feiture. Mr.. Mathews says:
with the law against them, the
Cunningham claimants turned to
Ballinger. They presented to his
attention their 33 claims, worth
many millions Of dollars, and sent
Mr.. Ballinger, who had just resign
ed the commissionership, back to
Washington to appeal to the depart
ment of the interior.
"There Is law which to the
common intellect seems to make
|. that act of Ballinger's illegal. Sec
ton 1870 of the revised statutes for
bids for two years after he has left
the department, any officer Of a
governmental department from
practicing before that department
In behalf of any claim which was
pending during his term Of office.
It Is edsigned to prevent depart
nent lawyers from being subsidized
by corporations to resign and use
their information against the gov
eminent from which they have OBJ
tanned It.
Pleaded for Them.
"The Cunningham claims had
been before the land office when
Mr.. Ballinger was commissioner.
Nevertheless, Attorney Ballinger
soon appeared before his successor
and pleaded to have the Cunning
ham claims passed to entry and
patent. Attorney Ballinger's eff
forts in this case were not success
full.
"And then the presidential cleo
ton came-and few months later
Mr.. Ballinger was occupying the po-
sition of secretary Of the interior
in Mr.. Taft's cabinet. And very
soon after his installation in this
honorable and important position
he began to undo the work accom-