Evening bulletin. [volume] (Honolulu [Oahu, Hawaii]) 1895-1912, 1909-09-22

most recent estimates, contains b3,-
600 tons of coal. In some places
the vein is us thick as sixty feet.
One section of the CLAWS charges
is intended to show that, had the
original plans Of the Interior De-
partment officials been carried out,
the ownership of tract whose value
approximates billion and half
dollars would have been jeopardized
by the Government. The Cunning
ham claims, although forming the
core of the controversy, are only a
small part Of those which would
have been affected by the decision
Of Assistant Secretary Pierce, later
overruled by Attorney General Wick
ersham. but still one of the points
of attack made by Inspector CLAWS.
The total amount of the claims
which thus are directly and indirect
ly involved amount to ! $4,000 acres.
This territory 1t is estimated, COW
ers billion and a half long tons of
coal. At a valuation of only 81 a
ton as the coal lies, this tract would
be worth $500, 100000. The ac-
ton of Assistant Secretary Pierce in
setting aside the charges OF con-
spiracy brought against the claim
ants of these lands, had It not been
reversed, would have opened the way
to speedy granting of the patents.
This ruling of the Interior De-
partment made by Pierce because
Secretary Ballihger, as former attor-
ney of the Cunningham claimants,
has turned the cases over to him.
is one of the most salient features
of the whole history of the contro-
versy between CLAWS. with the for
est service ut his back, and the high
officials of the Interior Department,
Within week after Secretary
Ballinger assumed charge OF the In
terror Department, CLAWS, then sta
toned on the Pacific coast in charge
of the Governments side o. he in
vestigation of the Alaska coal
claims. received instructions by wire
| from the General Land Office TO re-
port at once on the status of the
Cunningham claims. CLAWS receiy-
a duplicate of these instructions on
April 3. On April 90 he was in
formed that the investigation of the
Cunningham cases must be COM
pleted within sixty days.
Inspector CLAWS suggested that
this would be impossible, as the Gov
eminent could not obtain sufficient
evidence to prosecute its contentious
successfully within such short
time. Assistant Secretary Pierce,
then as now IN nominal control of
the Cunningham cases, on May 10
issued his now famous decision.
This declared that no charge of con-
spiracy should lie against the claim
ants in the Cunningham cases.
Under the old coal land claim law
now superseded by the law of 1908,
the only bar to advancing the claims
to patent was proof either that the
coal lands In question had been tax.
en- up with u view to securing the
timber on the tract, or that the
claimants had either conspired &c
combine their interests or had used
dummy entrymen.
The existence of immense coal
veins under this tract of 10000
acres was taken as final evidence by
both the Interior Department and
the forest service that the claims
had been filed for the purpose OF
mining the coal beneath. The
Pierce decision, therefore, was re-
garded as removing the only bar.
rier between the claimants and pos
session of the lands.
On receipt of Assistant Secretary
Pierce's decision Inspector CLAWS
left Seattle for Washington. lie
first conferred with Mr.. Pierce. bu;
received no assurance that the order
would be altered The inspector
then jumped over the heads of hi.
superiors and went TO Attorney Gen
eral Wickersham, before whom he
laid the facts OF the case. The At
torney General on June 20 reversed
the ruling of Mr.. Pierce and held
that the charge of conspiracy should
lie in the Cunningham cases.
In the early part OF July Mr.. Gla
Wis was taken from the Cunningham
Investigation and this part of the
work was placed In the hands o.
Special Agent Sheridan. Mr. Sheri
dan later sent report to the LANE
Office, confirming in almost every
particular the assertions.of Mr.. Gla
Wis. As result, the hearings q
these cases, which had been ilxet
for August 10, were then set for DC
tober 10.
Inspector CLAWS has been removed
from Office, but the public Is still
led to believe that he performed hi
full duty by going direct to the At
torney General, though 1t has cos
his position.
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