The Salt Lake herald-Republican. [volume] (Salt Lake City, Utah) 1909-1918, 1909-11-10
CHARGES AGAINST
SUPERIOR OFFICER
GIaveS Poses as the Champion
of the Law in Alaska
Coal Cases.

Mr.. Claws, in his article in Golfers
Weekly, makes the following assertions:
From 1902 to 1909 ] was in the field ser
vice of the general land office, for the last
two and a half years as chief of field
division In September, 1909, l was sum-
marily removed from my position without
a formal hearing by Richard A Balllnger,
secretary of the interior, by authorize
ton of the President of the United States.
That removal was accompanied by the
publication of q letter of the President
TO Mr.. Ballinger. 1 believe that my re-
moval was unfair, because in it the Pres
ident gives weight to charge against
me which / never had the opportunity 10
see or answer. The President states in
his letter that I withheld from him infOr-
not know of any such information with
held by me nor am / conscious of doing
my superiors injustice. Nevertheless, l.
should not now make any public state
ment of the matter were It not still pos
sible to save for the government many
thousands Of acres of coal lands which
believe the land office may in the near
future grant to fraudulent claimants.
The hope that my statement will help
to arouse public sentiment, and that this
danger to the national resources may be
aveTted, is what aCtuates me IhiS state
ment will simply give facts and leave TO
the Judgment of those who read whether
or not the land office has been Jealous
in the public service The facts ere these
Future Coal Supply.
''The coal lands of Alaska owned by the
government amount to over 10000 acres
They are the future coal supply Of the
nation, of almost inestimable value. Pos
session Of them by private individuals
means great wealth. monopoly of them
would be a national menace.
ION Nov Il. 1906. President Roosevelt
withdrew all coal lands in Alaska from
public entry; but previous to that time
there were about 900 claims filed covering
about 10000 acres (nearly the whole of
| the coal fields). The law attempts TO pre-
vent monopoly of such claims by limiting
/ the amount of each claim and providing
/ that each claimant must take up the land
/ in his own interest and for his own use
/ This laN has been Interpreted by the SUI
preme court of the United States to for
/ bid specializing In coal lands before en-
/ try-either by dummy entrymen or by
/ previous agreements to consolidate claims
| after entry. OF these 900 claims to Alaske
Focal lands-amOng them the so-callec
/ Cunningham group-the majority are
| fraudulent.
Charges of CLAWS.
''As to the action of the land office OF
| these claims, [ assert that the land of
flee ordered the Cunningham claims e
patent without due investigation Whei
Commissioner BallingeT knew they wer'
| under suspicion. that while in office Com
missioner Ballinger urged congress Z
pass a law WHICH WOulU NailQdle lIduu
Qlent Alaska claims: that shortly ate
lresigning from office he became attOrnel
for the Cunningham group and othe
| Alaska claims; that soon after he beCam
secretary of the interior, his office rem
dered a decision which would have vail
dated all fraudulent Alaska claims. A re
versal of that decision on every point wa
obtained from Attorney General Wicker
sham. Had it not been for Mr.. Wicker
sham's decision, every fraudulent Alas
ka claim would have gone to patent.
| assert that in the spring Of 1909 the Ian
office urged me to an early trial of thes
cases before the investigation was fin
ished. and when Secretary BallngeT. a
the President stated. knew that the Gun
ningham claims were invalid. When ] al
pealed to Secretary Ballinger for posi-
ponement, he referred me to his subOl
Z dinates. The department of agricultuT
interviewed. I was superseded in I'll
charge of the cases. and the man VIII
superseded me endorsed my recommends
lions, and the pOstpOnement was granite,
r Immediately thereafter I made my repOl
on the Cunningham eases to Presider
i Continued on Page 2.