The Washington times. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1902-1939, 1909-11-09
Give Out Statements.

Give Out Statements.
Secretary Of the Interior Ballinger,
Commissioner bennett Of the General
Land ofhee, Assistant Secretary Pierce.
and MIR. Schwartz. chief of special
service Of the land office. we're shown
proofs Of the Golfers article BY The
Times. ana asked if they would have
statements TO make concerning the
CLAWS story.
secretary Ballinger and M. Dennstt
replied with statements which were Civ.
en- out in typewriter form to the press
today, which indicated that neither Of
those officials are disposed TO attach
much weight TO the Claws aiIegatfons
The CLAWS article published in Col
lier's is as follows
From 1902 to 1909 I was IN the field
service OF the General Land Office. for
the last two and a half years as Chief
OF Field Division. Ia September. 1913.
was summary removed from my 20
sltlon without a formal hearing bv
Rlehard A. Ballinger. Secretary OF the
interior, by authorization Of the PresI-
dent of the United States. That rernov-
al was accompanied by the publication
or letter Of the President to Mr.. Bal
hnger. 1 believe that my removal was
unfair. I believe the Presidents letter
was grievously unfair, because In II the
President gives weight to charge
against me which I never had an on
portunity to see or answer. The Pres4-
cent states in his letter that I withheld
LLoHl oHl MN information favorable TO my
superlofs. 4 do not know or any such
information WITHHELD by mesn nor am
conscious OF doing my superfors iniIfs-
uce. Nevertheless. / should not n0Vv
make any public statement OF the mat
Ter were II not still possible to save
Tor the Government many thousands OF
acres OF coal lands which I believe the
Land onice may in the near future
grant 70 fraudulent claimants The
nope that my statement viii helm To
arouse public sentiment and that this
da nger TO the national resources NAV
o. aVerJeG, Is what actuates me. This
Sla1ehent S6a-',e en- VII simply give facts and
IedEe 10 the judgment of those who
fead whether or not the Land OnIce
has been Jealous in the public service.
Monopoly a Menace.
The coal lands OF Alaska owned bv
the Government amount to over roo 900
acres. They are the future coal supply
OF the natipn of almost inestimable
value. Possession Of theIG by private
individuals means great wealth.
monopoly OF Them would be national
menace.
on November y. 1906. President Roose-
welt withdrew all coal lands in Alaska
from public entry; but previous to that
time there We're about 500 claims fled
covering about 100000 acres (uearIV The
whole of the coal fields}. The law ar
tempets TO prevent monopoly Of such
claims by limiting the amount of each
claim and providing that each claimant
must take up the land in his own in
terest and for his own use This Law
has been interpreted Ay the Supreme
Court of the United States to forbid
specuiating in coal lands before entry
either by dummy entTymeR or by pre-
ViOus agreements to consolidate claims
after entry. OF these S00 claims 10
Alaska coal lands-amOng them the So
called Cunningham groul@-the majority
are fraudulent.
As to the action of the Land Office
on these claims, ! assert that the
Land Offlce ordered the Cunningham
claims 20 patent without due fnveSff-
gHtiOn when Commissioners BaIilngser
knew they were under suspicion; that
while In sffice Commissioner BalIlnEer
urged Congress 20 pass law which
would validate fraudulent Alaska
claimsi that shortly after resignfng
from Offce he became attorney for
thc Cunning ham group and other
Alaska cialmsl that soon after he he
came Secretary % the Interior KfS
office rendered decision which would
Continued on Third Pagel