The Richmond palladium and sun-telegram. [volume] (Richmond, Ind.) 1907-1939, 1909-11-09
GOLFERS MAKES
SERIOUS CHARGE
THROUGH CLAWS
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JutJUUuu ulhvIO
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will simply give the facts and leave .o
.he Judgment of those who read whe,h.
er or not the land office has been zeal
Gus in the public service
The Facts Are These.
The coal lands OF Alaska. owned by
the government amounted To over 100.
sS acres. They are the future coal
supply of the nation, of almost ines.s-
mabie value. Possession Of them bv
private individuals means gres.
great wealth-a monopoly of them
would be national menace.
On November L.. 1906. President
Roosevelt withdrew all coal lands In
Alaska from public entry: but previ-
Gus to that time there were about 900
claims filed, covering about loO.oM
acres nearly the whole OF the coal
fieldsD The law attempts to prevent
monopoly OF such claims by limiting
the amount Of each claim and provid-
ins that each claimant must take up
the land in his own interest and for
his own use. This law has been In
terpreted by the supreme court Of the
United States. to forbid specializing
in coal lands before entry-either by
dummy entrymen or by previous
agreements to consolidate claims after
entry. OF these 800 claims to Alaska
coal lands-among them the so-called
cunningham group-the majority are
fraudulent.
As to the action Of the land office
on these claims. assert that the lani
office ordered the Cunningham claims
to patent without due Investigation
when Commissioner BallinGer knew
they were under suspicion: that while
In office Commissioner Ballinger urg-
ed Congress to pass a law which would
validate fraudulent Alaska claims: tina:
shortly after resigning from office ne
became attorney for the Cunningham
group and other Alaska claims: that
| soon after he became secretary OF the
interior. his office rendered q decision
which would have validated all frandu-
lent Alaska claims. A reversal OF that
decision on every point WAS obtained
from Acknowledgement wickersham.
Had It not been for Mr.. Wickersham's
decision every fraudulent Alaska claill
would have gone to patent.
I assert that In the spring Of 1901,
the land office urged me to an early
trial OF these cases before the investi-
CATION was finished and when Secreta-
ry Ballinger. ~ the president has stat
ed, knew that the Cunningham claims
were invalid. When appealed 10
Secretary Ballingsr for postponement.
he referred me to his subordinates.
The department OF agriculture inter-
vened. was superseded In the charge
OF the cases. and the man who super
| seeded me endorsed my recommenda-
lions. and the postponement was grant
ed. Immediately thereafter I made
my report on the Cunningham cases IN
President Taft and was dismissed from
the service for characterization.
The Alaska Frauds.
The president has seen tit to raise
broader issuea than those contained In
my report. In view Of this fact.
shall In this report use material not
favorable to the people concerned
which did not use In my report to the
president. because these facts did not
Immediately concern the Cunningham
cases.
The first official communication 10
the Land office which suggested that
some or all OF the Alaska coal claims
were fraudulent was made by Special
Agent H. X. Love In October. 1905. In
June, 1907, Special Agent Horace +.
Jones was detailed by Mr. Fred Dem
nett, first assistant Commissioners Of
the general land office. to make . COM
plete Investigation. Subsequently
Jones was Instructed by Mr.. Ballinger
to make the report preliminary one.
Jones reported on August 10. 1907. re-
experienced and fearless agent" On
August 2, 1907, Love made . report IA
vorable to the issuance Of patents to
the Cunningham claims.
My first connection with these cases
was when In the fall Of 1907 discov-
cred in Seattle. while investigating
other matters. that some or all OF the
coal claims were not bona fide. Ny
report of this matter to Mr.. BallinGer
, stated that one claimant had refused
me IN affidavit ON the ground that Mr..
Ballinger himself had told some Of the
claimants to make no statement until
the charges were made. In order that
they might know what they had to
meet. but that could not believe this
statement. Mr.. Ballinger never com
mented to me on this phase Of my 70
port s.
France sold the United States So
67O.S1O worth Of champagne In the
first six months Of 1900. . quantity
which exceeds the previous highest
returns for . whole year.
PALLADIUM WANT ADS PAY.