Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1893-1920, 1910-01-26
CLAWS IS
CALLED ON
Committee on BaIlinger-
PinChot Affair Opens
Hearing.
TAKES BULL BY HORNS
BeVeridge DenounCeS Charge
Involving Hoggatt and
Richardson.
TAKES BULL BY HORNS

Washington, Jan. 26-The direct
manner in which the Ballinger-P -Pinchot
congressional committee inquiry pro-
! poses to deal with the work it has un-
dertaken was evidenced today by the
summoning of Louis R. CLAWS, the dis
missed field agent, as the first witness.
Taft Turned Him Down.
/ CLAWS preferred charges against
Secretary Ballinger in connection with
the Cunningham coal claims in Alaska.
He sent the charges direct to Taft,
and the latter. after considering them,
wrote a long letter to Ballinger de-
claring ne had been unjustly attacked
and that CLAWS should be Immediately
separated from service. Since his dis
missal CLAWS has carried on an un-
relenting campaign against Ballinger
by means of interviews and signed
articles in various publications. The
proceedings were scheduled to start
at 2:3O.
Two Days n Week.
1t is reported that following today's
session the committee would meet for
the present on Fridays and Saturdays
in order to give the senators and rep
resentatives. plenty of time to attend
to legislative. duties.
Senate Committee Purges Testimony.
Washington, Jan. 26.-Charges by
Delegate Wickersham- before the SEN J
ate committee that President Taft and
former President Roosevelt had main
tanned ir -hington an Alaskan
lobby in the persv--- of former Gov
ernor Hoggatt and Major Richardson,
an army officer, who is head Of the
Alaskan road commission, were de
nounced by Chairman Beveridge of the
committee, which decided to eliminate
a portion of the delegates testimony
from the record.
Said GugEenheims Were Favored.
Wickersham had charged that GER
tain legislation, furthered by Richard
son and Hoggatt, was in the interest
of the Guggenheims, and that the pres
ident and former president were re-
sponsible for their presence in Wash |
ington as lobbyists for the measures. |
Offers Millions for Lease.
Washington, Jan. ga new and |
somewhat sensational factor appeared /
suddenly yesterday to add intensity to
the already sufficiently excited situa- /
ton over the Alaskan coal lands on /
the eve of the beginning of the Bal |
linger Pinchot investigation which |
largely concerns that question. ~Nhn /
E. Ballaine of Seattle, said to be -
largest individual property owner in
Alaska, made application in writing to
the senate committee on territories, of
which Senator Beveridge is chairman,
offering to the government a royalty
of so cents ton on coal mined for the
lease of 5000 acres of some of the
choicest coal land in Alaska, in the
Katalla and Matanuska districts. Such
a tonnage royalty would net to the gov
ernment, Mr. Ballaine claims, amounts
as high as s2,OOO,O0O per 100 acres.
Changes Administration Plans.
This proposal contemplates radical
departure from past practices in the
governments disposal of the AlaGka
coal lands. and it comes avOwedly to
battle with another proposition en-
bodied in a bill which has been pre-
pared but not yet introduced designed
to permit the sale or lease of such
lands at a rate of SO per acre. 1t is
said that the general features of the
plan have the approval of officials high
in the administration and of influen-
tial members of both houses of con-
gress, including some of the prominent
nsurgent republicans and Delegate
of Alaska
other interests at Work.
Mr.. Ballaine, in his letter to Sena- ;
or Beveridge. offers to enter into a
pond of $1,000,0OO with the govern
nent for the performance of his part ,
If the agreement, which he proposes,
and he makes the charge that "other ,
ave now at work in Wash :
ngton a bby headed by former
United 81 es senator" Mr.. Baliaine
lsks cong SIS to authorize the head of
departnn at designated in the legis- {
alton to enter into lease with coal
company to be organized by him for
1000 acres of Matanuska coal land, un- ,
Ter all the provisions for regulation 6
nd against monopolistic control of +
'rices. as stipulated in the bill recent I
y introduced by Senator Nelson in /
onformity with the recommendation c
f Secretary Ballinger's annual report c
his company would pay the United I
tates and Alaska a royalty of so cents t
ton as mined. O