The Salt Lake tribune. [volume] (Salt Lake City, Utah) 1890-current, 1909-11-10
||ELuNGER ONCE
/ MORE ATTACKED
ID R. CLAWS, Recently Fired
hy the Secretary, Bitter in
= Lengthy Article.
VIRTUALLY MAINTAINS
BALLINGER is CRATER
Iccused Is Prompt to Reply,
Declaring Story Tissue
of FaIsehOOds.'

0ropyriCht, 1909 by 7. +. Coiller g SON.
Tho following article BY l., r. CLAWS
,,,s,tly dcposed by Secretary Ballin,
:, from the position of division chief
: tbe field service of the general land
Afr, will appear in Golfers Weekly
!, ,be date of ncxi Saturday, Noyem'
Der l3.
Personal Grievance Aired.
r,om 1902 to 1909 ! was in the field
y,yico of the general land office, Tor
Ss last two and 4 halt years as c5leI cl
4 field division. In September l9U9,
/ vas summarlly removed from my posi-
s,r without n formal hearing, by
Rtbard A. Ballinger. secretary OF the
,.,erior. by authorization OF the preSi-
S,ui Of the United States. That re
/ rsv,I was accompanied by the publ
1 ,,,on OF a letter of the president 10
M BallineeT. ] believe that my re
-sral was unfair ] believe tue prcsi-
l,ts letter was grleyouslY unfair, be-
an. IN II the president gives weight
"A charge against me which never
| ID The opportunity 10 sec OF answer.
L Tbs president states II his letter that
I rtbbeld from him information favor.
l N. IN nv supcriors. | do not know or
NV a,ch information withheld by me,
-sr am | conscious of doing my supe.
5srs inmsticc. Nevertheless, J should
- sow make anv public statement of
n matter, were it not still possible to-
uys Tor the government many thou
a,js Of acres of coal lands, which i
i.Iip7e the laud office may III the near
ivlup grant TO fraudulent claimants,
lbl hopr that my statement VIII help
!, aronse public sentiment and that
ilr Danger 10 the national resources
r,y be inverted is what actuates me.
4 lts statement will simply give facts
I nj lave 10 the Judgment OF those who
4 nM whether or not the land office
lls been jealous in the public service.
Great Wealth Latent.
d he eoal lands of Alaska owned by
j n government amount TO over 100000
} ;ni Thcy are tho future coal supply
Iti lie nation. of almost inestipIable
Iilus. Possession of them By private
Itxsidusls means great wealth. no.
sply Of them would be national
rure.
y d November l9, 1909, President
tsgerelt withdrew all coal lands in
Z AhiLs from public entry; hot previous
ot,Asi lime there were abont 600 claims
VI covering about 100000 acres
:, t',rly ihe whole Of The coal fields
\ Tbs law attempts 10 prevent the
cssoPoly Of such claims by limiting the
! |1RcEt OF each claim and providing
Y ~. zach claimant must take up land
lk own interest aud for his own use.
IllH law bas been interpreted 10y The
Eisnc court of tho United States to
y 'Zcn specnlating in coal lands before
t'g-eliher By dummy cntrymcn or
~ Feylous agreements TO consolidate !
ans after entry, OF these 900 claims
Alaska coal lands-smong them the |
" allied Cunningham gEoUp-thc ma
Icy are fraudulent.
M Many Strong Assertions.
u % Inc action Of the land office on
- ~ GAINS ] assert THAI the land Office
I .a0i ,oe Cunningham Claims 10 pat |
~ sltnont due investigation when |
< .asloper Ballinger knew they were
! - @spiclon. that while In office |
" Ispher balhngcr urged congress
D law which would validate |
Y,aisot Alaska claims; that shortly |
I'l~lgh,ng from Office be became at |
H.. ,Vr the Cunningham group and |
1 4 AlasSa claims; that soon after lie |
,ol In secretary of the interior his
i IN, rIasred & decision which would
~ '4lldated all fraudulent Alaska
:, s,r reversal Of that decision on
POINT Was obtained from Attor.
usneral Wickersham UaJ Lad l. 'y nnt
IR Tor Mr. W;cl,a.u l"u - HpU
I b. ,ono 1ulent Alaska claim would
u IL surinn e patent. / assert that in |
tG5I 70 s an W. l9Vv the land Office urged |
d tts lily trlnl of these cases he
Pa Nrra,sllga,lon was finished. and |
st aih.s sata ballinger, as the prcsi.
ly d ,,;n,s" ,"eu. knew that fine Cunning |
I ad IN were invalid. When [ ap-
Isa.n, byIetaTy Ballingcr for post
> 1aie TIo selerred Inc 10 his subor. !
EtnCned department. of agriculture
, N|'agrof III was superseded in The |
is Ir,eaed ~ cases and the man who, |
tss Il. mc lndorscd my recommcn.
: Eeeiistsl,, pGySoponement WAS granted. !
tbs thereafter / made my re.
.,,n Tsff 1unlngnam casag 10 n,,si. |
~, ~, ass IA, nu was dismissed from tLe
'S' ,ihsa6ordina5iou.
: IL. VIEW Issues Raised.
!, President has soa~
!, IN nv von ,Dan those contained in my my |
II lW Nor, n.s NV OF this fact / shah I'm
w E ltpple ~, ulatorial not favorable TO
. hcsy lSsport 10 the Ira mn,GG asiGoI, did not
uti nrnchs not Immediately concern
a.. Official comrnunic,,i,,,
rs' u, which Suggested 'tHa iha, 20 sc ,nc
Nc' ssat 'ue Alaska coal n,s ,I,n I,ns S"onc %ol,
bse low was made by ' snns,a1 Sia.qs .%t %erf
igE Spzeicl" October, 1906, In line
scr. claleG H. agent Horace T. Joncs
90 al. al e9llnmlsuioner req "a bennett. first
ssy'sd II asSssausHnaiEiSs HaEs a. complete investisS
raryy" ryy",nser niger 10 make tho 'ng.1nStca ront'.,
% ~|,S 1907. rco,.s oones reported on Au-
ioD, I'D BY an nnyunrslsng further invcsti-
vaIs ~, On An,,,Anperienced and fearless
N RS, ~ .ayorablc ,a :, 1907. Love made a
ID ~ Sc, Cunningham ciaims cs'iHT OF pat
lot'e slsn IN pmhncction vim thna.
50. SO,, VI While he fall Of is07 it 7 fhTse HSs eases
- @ti le Shlle Inyestirapirr,.l ! dilscovcrcd
ni'a adsr' De- MY M %trU,, of The coal claims
{ g. FsuaSSy Sy r1fusSd nn s.a.Gd aG that that one
= ssr Sme of tho c - IBallIlnger himself
so s qSsil 9Ssy the cnqTseS were re made made
Ind. s,esscl by,' might know what tho