Los Angeles herald., 1909-03-09
STATES COUNSEL
DENIES CHARGES
WEBBAND HlSACCUSERS HAVE
WORDY COMBAT
ATTORNEY GENERAL EXCITED
BY ACCUSATIONS
Saws He Never Entered Into Conspir-
acy to Defraud Government OF
Lands-committee Hears
Discussion

SACRAMENTO March S.-AttoSney
General u. S Webb issued this atter-
noon a statement in answer TO inc
charge of John ID. Alderman, a lana
attorney, that the surveyor general
and the attorney general had con-
spired with certain land graboers TO
defraud the state out of thousands ol
acres of public lands
Alderman charged that the attorney
general and surveyor general hoped To
accomplish their alleged purpose py
means of the Thompson so-called anu
land grabber bill introduced in the sem
ate. Webb's statement is in part as
follows:
Il have just read the published
statement purporting to nave pes1
made by John d. Alderman. VINO, L
have been informed, is the attorney
of HYDE and Benson, recently convicted
i'm the federal courts of land fraud.
at is true the Thompson Dill was
nrepared by General Kingsbury and
was drafted to prevent and, If adopted,
will prevent. the control of the remain,
ing state lands by Hyde, Benson ana
Alderman, who, under the pIesei'1
of practically all of the aVallapie
lands.
"F.r months Hyde, Benson anu
Alderman and these men against
whom the Thompson bill is aimed nave
been endeavoring by threats to induce
Surveyor General Kingsbury to WITH
draw the bill. Failing in TINS tney
now seek to cast discredit upon tne the
measure by the charge that the bill
;s in the interest of land grabbers
other than Hyde. Benson and Acker-
man. If the charge were true the Dill
should be defeated, but 1t is false-eh-
tirely false"
Have Verbal Conflict
Tonight, after issuing his statement
of denial. Attorney General Webb, sur
vevor General Kingsburv and John
Alderman became the principals IN
one of the most sensational committee
meetings of the present session OF the
legislature.
Webb and Alderman kept up rum
ming fire of personalities that started
the large audience that had gathered
in the assembly chamber before the
committee on public lands and forestry,
The hearing was on the so-calieu
anti-land grabbing bill introduced In
the senate by Thompson of Alhamora'
This measure provides that public lands
shall be sold at public auction at a
minimum price of So an acre.
Alderman. F. A. Hyde. E: W; Lake
and others have been lobbying
against the Dill IOr SeNerdl VEINS
In his statement the attorney gen
eral had declared that the Thompson
bill had been prepared by Kingsburv.
with the advice of his own office. and
was designed especially to prevent the
control of state lands by Hyde, Ben
son and Alderman.
At tonights meeting Webb reiter-
ated the statement saying in part:
"Mr. Alderman, you are here because
Hyde cannot be present on this floor
on account of his conviction as land
grabber. You are acting for him, and
he does not want any legislation such
as is proposed in this bill.
The attorney general also charged
that under the existing laws the land
grabbers had been able to get control
of all the base of the state for S125 an
acre, while bona fide purchasers have
been compelled to go to these alleged
"gra bbers" and pay S. to $50 an acre.