Burlington weekly free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1866-1928, 1909-09-16
Pres. Taft Made His Findings in
the CLAWS Charges Public
at Albany.
"ONLY SHREDS Of SUSPICION
Ills Charges Not BASED on Substantial
evidence - The President Gives
Dnllinrcr Authority to Dis
miss CLAWS frcm the
Service.

s~any. Sept. IA statement r.
which President TAFT announces his
findings upon the charges against the
conduct of the interior department OF
the government ny i. r. CLAWS. chiei
Of the field division of the general LAND
office in connection with the Cunning
ham coal land claims In Alaska ex-
pneratinS Secretary Ballingcr of the in
terror department and observing that
Mr.. Glavis's case "embraced only shreds
of suspicion without substantial evil
hencc" was made public hero Tonight
The President grants Secretary Bal
Ungers request for authority to dismiss
MIR. CLAWS from the service Of the gov
eminent "for uniustly impoachlng the
official integrity of his superior officer
and takes occasion to review evidence
h the so-called water power trust" and
other cases. to refutc the charges that
the secretary of the interior is out o.
sympathy with the policy of the adj
rlinistration in favor OF the conservation
Of natural resources.
The statement, which is IN the form
of 4 letter to Secretary Ballinger writtor
lcforc President Taft left his summer
home at Beverly, Mass, Is in part as
follows:
September r., 100.
My Dear sir:-On the 18th day Of
August last Mr.. L. r. Claws chief OF
acld division of the general land office
with headquarters at Seattle. wash.
called upon me here and submitted Z
statement or report rela to the con
GIct Of the interior department and par.
tcularly to the action Of yourself. Acting
Secretary Pierce. Commissioner of the
Of Field Service Schwartz. In reference
% the so-called Cunningham group OF
coal land claims in Alaska. Mr.. Clavis's
report does not formulate his charges
against YOU and the others. but by nsin-
walton and inuendo as we'll AS by direct
averment. he does charge that each one
Of YOU while a public official .'as taken
steps to aid the Cunningham claimants
TO secure patents based on claims tina,
YOU know or have reason 70 believe tc
be fraudulent and unlawful. You and
each OF the other gentlemen named have
now made written answers accompanied
by additional exhibits from the records
Of the interior department as we'll as by
private letters.
A DEFINITE CONCLUSION.
~ have examined the whole record
most carefully and have reached a
very definite conclusion. The case at
tempted to be made by Mr.. CLAWS
embraces only shreds Of suspicious
without arv eubstart,a, oyidanca IN
sustain his attack.
"The whole record shows that Mr.
CLAWS was honestly convinced OF the
Illegal character Of the claims in the
Cunningham group and that he was
reoking evidence to defeat the claims
But II also shows that tyere was de-
lay on his part in preparing the evil
dence with which to bring this with
other claims, to hearing; and that jus
tice TO the claimants required more
speedy action than the department
through Mr., CLAWS, seems to have
taken
The reading OF the whole record
!caNeS no count mat III MS zeal &c
cohNlct Yourself Acting secretary
Pierce Commissioner bennett anc
!lr' SCHWARTZ ne dld not give me inc
beheht or Information which he hac
mat wound nave thrown nsht on 'he
trahSa''i"hS showing theh 10 DC CON
eiS'e'' WI" d" i"''Hr'''l "''i'"ue OF
.our part 'o""i" '"c c'"'''s III ques
'''a,
us,a, .na, arroas,'. '' ,a',s ,.au
crevious relation as counsel IN IN,
~ Tho claimants fror, tho ,t,,o va,
.n,ored ,nor rorr a,,,ia, 90 ,,,o ~
. 49,,
. 49,, ,.,
-. 49,.
"',' ''. 80 nam ma
- any ~ 'Ne' y"
courSe VI 'he uoi'"' '''o"' III re'Pe'
TO those GAINS
Inc statement maze ny MT IlaN'
mat while You ana mus formall'
withdraw from any official connec
ton with the Cunningham claims, yo
nevertheless continued to oXercis
your influence in regard to them |
not sustained by any evidence in tn
records produced
"The truth Is that had YOU or Com
missioner or chief Of Field Servic
gchwartz during tho voors Of ~
nondency Of those claims hoon dee,r
one througb dtsborest mo,,vos an
n.i,hou. roe,ord - ,o,r o,d ,ho ,ntor
.o,. 80 ,,a ,,ito -, huinot,,,, t,,o,
..,.,
''0 ''i' va ~
" navy "''' '' WIZ ''""'
MUST BE DISMISSED.
you request authority to DISCHARGE NJ