Twice-a-week plain dealer. (Cresco, Howard County, Iowa) 1895-1913, 1909-08-20


Spokane, Wash, Avg. lathe re-
port is being circulated among dele
gates to the national irrigation con-
gress that charges of serious nature
against Secretary of the Interior
Ballinger are to be laid before Presi-
dent Taft at Beverly. 1t is asserted
that the charges are backed up by
number of affidavits. There are in
possession of man who is said to
have passed through Chicago with
them on Thursday, on his way east.
do these charges relate to water
power sites?' was asked.
cit is something far worse than
that" was the reply from we'll
known member of the reclamation
service "The charges relate to trans
actions in Alaska"
Open war has broken out between
the friends and foes of Secretary Bal
linger. Public charges now involve
what is known as the Cunningham
group of coal land entries in Alaska.
The allegations involve the names of
several individuals, including that Of
q United States senator.
Coal lands of remarkable richness
aggregating over 5000 acres are up
for patent in the interior department,
and 1t is asserted that Ballinger has
allowed the case to run to such a
length that 1t will be impossible to
prevent patents being issued to the
various persons involved.
Clarence c.. Cunningham, mining
man from Idaho, a few years ago
formed an association, consisting of
himself and thirty-two other individ-
uals, and filed on $3.50 acres of coal
land, thirty miles north of Katalda.
Alaska.
The land is described as containing
the richest coal deposits in the north.
The vein in many places is sixty feet
thick and the product is said to be
better steam coal than now is pro-
duced anywhere on the Pacific coast.
BaIinger Is Accused.
The filing was made during Secre-
tary Hitchcock's term. He suspected
a grab" and suspended the issuance
of patents. Secretary Garfield, when
he assumed office. dispatched agents
to inspect the land. While the case
ed law restricting contiguous coal
land holdings of associations and in
dividuals to 1850 acres, and forbid.
ding action of individuals in combin-
alton.
During the interim between Mr. Bal,
linger's two terms of service with the
government, or after he had retired as
fce. it is being openly asserted, he
became attorney for the Cunningham
association, and, it is alleged, attempt
ed to put through their claims at
Washington. The unsettled case was
one of the legacies Secretary Garfield
left to Mr.. Ballinger.
Using as his cudgel cold, hard facts
and figures which he declared a capa
BILE man had obtained for him from
the government land Offices, DR.
George c. Pardee, former governor
of California, before the congress re
newed his attack upon Secretary Bal
linger, whom he charged, with throw
ing open to entry, valuable water
power lands, which had been with
drawn for the people by Secretar!
Garfield, under the Roosevelt admin
istration These lands are now IL
the hands of the so-called water pow
er trust, DR.. Pardee declared.
Smith Defends BaIIinger.
The new attack followed a spirite,
defense Of Secretary Ballinger b.
George Otis Smith, director of tn
United States geological survey, VIII
sat up all night at Mr.. Ballinger's q!
rection preparing his speech. Mr.
Smith asked for special place on thu
program in order to make his state
ment.
Mr. Smiths appearance was sur
prise to the delegates, as he had spok
en- earlier in the week He read tele
grams from the Montana land Office
one Of which said that no filings hat