The Tacoma times. [volume] (Tacoma, Wash.) 1903-1949, 1909-11-09

FORE, REPRESENTED A CON
GRESHAM IN ALASKA COAL
MATTERS.
At the expiration of the sixty
days, allotted Tor the completion
of my reports, I telegraphed thai
was getting new evidence, and
hat l could not consistently make
final reports while further evil
dence was available, Cunning.
ham cases included, and that the
time should be extended at least
sixty days longer.
BaIlinger Pushes Trial When Gov.
ernment Is Not Ready.
In answer TO this telegram l re-
ceived a dispatch from the general
land office that the reports must
be submitted at once and that an
agent would be sent to Seattle
to take charge of the investiga-
ton. / urged by letter and tele-
grams to the commissioner post
ponement for field examination.
On July z was informed by let
ter from the land office that the
cunningham cases would go to
trial at once, and that the evil
dence would be submitted to Com
missioner bennett without having
the Alaska land office pass on the
claims first. / believe that nc
precedent can be found i'm the en-
tire history of the land office for
such action.
On the 18th I received a tele-
gram from the land office saying
Mr.. Sheridan would report to as
sist me in the trial. Mr.. Balm
ger was then in Seattle, and
went to see him and called his at
tention to my written demand
for a field examination. Mr.. Bal
linger said he thought the Cum
bingham group would admit that
the land was being developed as
a whole. Il telegraphed to Com
missioner bennett that, at the sug-
gestion of the secretary of the in
terror, / wanted to know whether
my report (urging field examina-
tom had been considered when
the last telegram was sent. In
reply, ON the 18th, the land office
wired that Mr.. Sheridan would
report to take full charge of the
cases.
At that time I felt very de-
spondent about the outcome of
these cases. My conversation
with Secretary Ballinger, the fact
that Mr.. bennett was to be the
Judge in the case, and the difficult
ties had had with the land office
in my preparation of the cases, led
me, without consulting my superb
ors, to appeal to the department
of agriculture to intervene. This
it did, and requested an adjourn
ment until a field examination
could be made.
On July IT, 1909, Mr.. Sheri-
dan superseded me in charge of
the Alaska land cases, and with
in four days after reaching Seat
tie reported, concurring in my
recommendations and suggesting
that the cases be postponed to al
low the field examination to be
made. In this period Commits
sioner bennett frequently COM
municated with Secretary Balm
ger on the subject of the post
ponement. In one of his letters
to the chief of field service at
this time, Commissioner bennett
said:
sheridan has gone over the
cases thoroughly and thinks that
the evidence which it is hoped to
gain from Kennedy's visit to Alas
ka will be very material, and
therefore it is the best to post
pone until October 15. have
concurred, anticipating your &C
quiescence by the character of
your telegram to me. The fores-
try can be blamed for the action
in the matter
Sheridan has taken charge of
the Cunningham case, and i'm
presses me very favorably; 1 think
he can handle it against any rival
they may bring against him. The
rest of the Alaska cases are in a
bad mess. CLAWS is very much en-
Unused on the proposition of can
ceiling them all and getting the
lands back in cold storage, and
this is just what will happen un-
less congress helps out"
The Land Office Tells the Truth.