The free lance. (Fredericksburg, Va.) 1885-1926, 1909-11-11

cused of Failure TO Take steps 10
Save Immense Beds Of Fuel From
Fraudulent Entry-Deposed Govern
msnt Employs Says He Was Re-
moved Unjustly by Mr.. Taft.
New York. Nov. 9-ln an article
prepared for Golfers Weekly OF NOV
10 an. copyrighted by that puoiica-
ton /. r. CLAWS. removed in Septem-
her from the office Of chief OF held di'
vision of the general land office. says
ICopyright, 1909. by p. +. Collier x Sons'l
From 1902 to 1909 | was in the
held service of the general land office,
for the last two and a half years as
chief OF field division. In September
1909. | was summarily removed from
my position without a formal hearing
by Richard 4. Ballinger, secretary oil
the interior, by authorization OF the
president of the United States. That
removal was accompanied by the pub
LEGATION of a letter of the president 10
Mr.. Balilnger believe that my re-
moval was unfair. believe the presi-
dents letter was grievously unfair, be
cause in 1t the president gives weight
to a charge against me which | never
had the opportunity to see or answer
The president states in his letter that
| withheld from him Information Ia
yorable to my superiors. l DO not
know of any such information with
held by me. nor am conscious OF DO
ing my superiors injustice. Neverthe-
less. | should net now make any puollc
statement of the matter were 1t not
still possible to save for the govern
ment many thousands of acres OF coal
lands which | believe the land office
NAV in the near future grant TO fraud
ulent claimants.
Coal Lands Of Inestirnable Value.
THE coal lands of Alaska owned by
the government amount to over lOO.-
600 acres. They are the future coal
supply of the nation, of almost inesu-
mable value. Possession OF them by
private individuals means great
wealth. A monopoly of them would be
national menace.
"On Nov. ~, 1906. President Roose'
Welt withdrew all coal lands in Alaska
from public entry. but previous to that
time there were about 900 claims filed,
covering about 100000 acres. nearly
the whole OF the coal fields. The law
attempts to prevent monopoly OF such
claims by limiting the amount OF each
claim and providing that each claim
ant must take up the land in his own
interest and for his own use. This law
has been interpreted by the supreme
court of the United States to forbid
specializing in coal lands before entry,
either by dummy entrymen or by pre-
yious agreements to consolidate claims
after entry. OF these 900 claims to
Alaska coal lands. among them the So
called Cunningham group. the major
fly are fraudulent. III is asserted that
the Glggenheims are seeking a mo-
nopoly Of the Alaska coal fields.I
"As to the action of the land office
on these claims, assert that the land
Office ordered the Cunningham claims
10 patent without due investigation
when Commissioner Ballinger knew
they were under suspicion; that while
in office Commissioner Ballinger urged
congress TO pass law which would
validate fraudulent Alaska claims;
that shortly after resigning from or
fee he became attorney for the Cum
ningham group and other Alaska
claims; that soon after he became
secretary of the interior his office rem
dered a decision which would have
validated all fraudulent Alaska claims.
A reversal Of that decision on every
point was obtained from Attorney
General Wickersham.
How CLAWS Was Dismissed.
81 assert that in the spring OF 1909
the land ONCE urged me to an early
trial OF these cases before the inyesu'
CATION was finished and when Sec
rotary Ballinger. as the president has
stated, knew that the Cunningham
claims were invalid. When | appealed
to Secretary Ballinger for postpone
msnt he referred me to his subordi-
mates. The department OF agriculture
interviewed. | was superseded In the
charge Of the cases. and the man VINO
superseded me Endorsed my recon-
mendations. and the postponement
was granted. Immediately thereafter ]
made my report on the Cunningham
cases to President Taft and was dis
missed from the service for insubordi-
nation.
1.-THE president has chosen to treat
10y report as a charge OF criminality.
made no such charge, nor do ! make
1t now. The presidents letter is a de-
Tense of Mr.. Ballinger and Mr.. Den
nett commissioner Of the general land
oficel from charges not made In my
report to him. was not investigating
either Mr.. Ballinger or Mr.. bennett.
but the Alaska cases"
1.-THE forthcoming article in Golfers
Weekly Is expected to reopen the en-
Ire Pinchot- Ballinger dispute over the
disposition of public lands. One OF
the most bitter oficial controversies
ever known In Washington may fol
low. snd the result may be the retire
msns from Office Of either Secretary
psitpgcr or Clifford Pinchot, chief OF
the forest service.1