The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1910-12-07

favored by President Taft in his mes
sage to congress. The recommendation
follows:
Your committee believes it would be
the height of unwisdom to permit
these great coal fields to be monopoliz-
ed or gathered into the private owner
ship of few for speculative purposes.
AS they increase in value the increment
should inure to the benefit of all the
people.
ITO bring about this result. and at
the same time put an end to the un-
reasonable condition now existing,
your committee recommends that the
government refuse to sell the lands, but
that retaining their ownership, 1T shall
grant leases at fair royalties for PERIODS
limited, long enough and covering areas
large enough to justify the necessary
investments upon sound business prln-
cipleS and thus secure the opening ana
operating of sufficient mines to meet
the necessities of Alaskan consump-
ton; afford relief from the present out
rageous prices paid by consumer and,
at the same time, afford some revenue
to the government. We recommend
legislation to that end and, that pend
ing such legislation, the existing with
drawal from entry of the Alaska coal
lands be made
Conduct of CLAWS.
AS to the conduct of Mr.. CLAWS in
the long period in which the Alaska
coal claim cases were under his con-
troll as special agent of the land office,
the report declares he had sufficient
time and abundant assistance to make
the field examination which he had
demanded.
In this connection, the committee
says:
IF his demand was in good faith,
CLAWS was grossly renliss in his duty
in not having the examination made
then
Commenting upon the blanket with
drawals of public lands which were
made by James r. Garfield when sec
retary of the interior the committee
says this action was taken by him
after he ascertained that he would not
be reappointed under President Taft.
1t is said these Withdrawals were
made haphazard from the mere in
spection of the land office state maps.
Many of these lands were restored
to the public domain by Secretary Bal
Iinger and a portion were again set
aside. The re-withdrawals, according
to the committee, were made by Sec
ination of the maps, data and reports
in the geological survey and 1t is
held that the re-withdrawals embraced
all the power sites In the original
blanket Withdrawals by Mr.. Garfield.
The weakness of the then existing
recognized by the committee, which
endorses comprehensive blanket with
drawals so as to prevent the monop-
olizing of power sites.
At the same time the committee
says:
Blanket Withdrawals.
at is plain that such Withdrawals
should be made only for the purpose
of permitting congress to act, and that
blanket Withdrawals are justified only
upon condition of immediate examina-
tion and restoration of the land not
fective any action which congress
should see fit to make.
eThe continuance Of the excessive
Withdrawals could not be justified the
report says, "a day longer than. was
necessary to ascertain what land ac-
tually constitutes the supposed power
sites"
| Explaining the exoneration of Mr.
Ballinger because of his abrogation OF
the Indian cooperative agreement
relative to logging and numbering on
| Indian reservations, the committee
saws the secretary found that opera
tions were being carried on by the
bureau of forestry of wasteful and
| extravagant nature and enta1iing loss
to the Indians. Much of this work
was being done by employees OF the
interior department.
He held that the contract between
the Indian office and the forest ser
vice, made during Secretary Garfield's
administration, constituted, in erect
the transfer to one department of ar
| appropriation made to another. He
held that this was illegal and was sup
| ported by an opinion of the comptroI-
| ler of the treasury, the report says.
For questioning the validity OF the
cooperative certificates by which set
tiers within irrigation districts would
| be permitted to pay a part of the
charges against them in work instead
| of cash, the committee says that Sec
an enemy of conservation. In this
connection, the finding of the ma
iority is that ''he was fully justified In
taking the course he did. If he ha6
done otherwise he would not have
been a faithful public officer.
s'The secretary held that the ISSUE
/ of the certificates was In contraven
tion of the provision of the reclama
ton act, that no contract can be le
| for any part of a project until the
| necessary funds are available in th'
| reclamation fund "
i The Ballinger-Pinchot investigation
| committee concluded its work today
The report, representing the views O.
the majority of the committee, wa
| presented to both houses of congress
at the opening at noon. At the sam'
/ time the reports of the Democra
members of the committee and o
| Representative Madison of Kansa
also were submitted.
The conclusions of the Republican
were submitted to the Democrats at
4 meeting of the full committee held a
l1O o'clock this morning. All Republi
can members except Representative
Madison had signed the report. Sena
tor Nelson chairman of the commit
tee. put the majority report to vote
The Democrat members with Repre-
sentative Madison. voted against it.
HEAPS THE WIRE MFN