The San Francisco call., 1909-12-23
GILLFTT'S ALASKAN
COAL LANDS RICH
CIassed Among Most Valuable
Anthracite Deposits in the
Far North
Governor and congressman Who
Hold Big Tract Are Termed
politicians Syndicate

That the Alaska coal land which
Governor James N. Gillett admits he
has title to, and in which Mrs Gillett
and Congressman James McLachlan and
Duncan McKinlay of this state are also
interested, is among the richest claims
in the wonderful northern fields is the
declaration of John E. Lathrop and
George Kibbe Turner, writing in the
January number of McClures maga-
zine. Advance sheets Of the articles,
which is entitled "A Billion Dollars
Worth of Coal" deal with the alleged
Cunningham claims fraud and the re-
puted Vaccinations of the Guggenheim
syndicate, which claims are under in
vestigation by the government. The
trouble OF the Cunningham claims has
been the inspiration of the accusations
leveled against Secretary of the In
terror Richard A. Ballinger by former
Chief CLAWS of the field division of
the land Office and others.
VALUABLE COAL DEPOSITS
Governor Gillett. in an interview
published exclusively In The Call yes
terday morning, denied that he is in
volved in the Cunningham complica-
tions. 1t is not charged in McClure's s
magazine that he is. But the magazine
declares that tha politicians syndi-
cate, as it refers to the group with
which Gillett, McLachlan and McKinlay
are Interested, has probably the best
coal territory OF all in Alaska.
When the Alaska coal bill of 1908
was before the house of representatives
n Il.
zine, although it was q measure direct
ly affecting the title of lands held in
the Alaska coal fields. The other
California congressman interested was
recorded as not voting" says the maga-
zine. which nowhere in the article men,
tions McKinlay's name. Governor Gill
lett made his connection with the
claims public.
Referring TO the claims of the poll
ticians' syndicate the article says:
But probably the best territory OF
all was taken up by a group that came
after these two" (That is: After the
Cunningham group and the English
syndicate known as the Pacific oil and
coal company This, in view of it's
development. may be called the poll
ticians syndicate 1t was engineered
by Harry White, through a power of
attorney man named M. A Green.
White was at one time mayor of
Seattle, but resigned very suddenly, for
reasons that have never entirely been
made public. He did not retire from
practical politics, however, and was
one of the most prominent workers in
the west for the republican party dur
ing the last presidential campaign.
Whites political acquaintance extends
throughout the entire Pacific coast, and
republican politicians and office holders
of both local and national prominence
appear in his syndicate. Altogether.
this political group acquired 10 or IS
square miles of territory. The coal on
this is anthracite, the finest quality in
the district; there is not less than
200 000,00 tons of it and probably a
great deal more. In the group of poll
ticians managed by Harry White were
now included Congressman James Nc
Lachlan and a second republican con-
gressman from California" Duncan
McKinlay, according to Gillett); also
James N. Gillett, the republican COVER
nor of California, with his wife"
GROUPS NORTHERN HOLDINGS
In his interview published yesterday
morning Governor GilIett stated that
he and the congressman mentioned,
with Oxnard and Alisky, are grouping
together. as the law permits, to a total
of $500 acres"
"A tract of $3.50 acres of the Cum
ningham property would produce at
least $4,000, 900 tons, worth $22, 500 OO0,"
estimates McClure's magazine, at the
same time declaring that the White
property is even better. "The govern
ment price to the claimants, under
these former liberal Alaska coal laws.
would be s25.600. The coal on it, in
other words, will yield profit, when
developed, approximating one thousand
times what the government sells it
for