The Salt Lake herald-Republican. [volume] (Salt Lake City, Utah) 1909-1918, 1910-06-01
TAFT TAKES HAND
IN THE SQUABBLE
No Special Interests in Alaska
Will Be Aided by the
Government.
AN EMPHATIC STATEMENT
L. P. sHACKLEFoRD ATTACKS
DELEGATE wICKE RSHAM.

Washington. May 31.-President
Taft announced today that during his
administration he would not lend his
approval to legislation designed to Sc
cure government aid to specific rail-
road interests in Alaska. Instead. he
favored a general law that will apply
TO all who comply with its provisions;
a law modelled after the policy that
has been in effect In the Philippines
fer years.
The announcement came In the
form of an executive approval Of an
ADVERSE report made to Congress by
Secretary Baliinger OF a bill which
proposed specific aid to the Alaska
Great Northern. The fight over this
bill is said to have been the cause of
much controversy in the committees
of Congress. The hackers of the bill.
it is claimed. have charged that those
who oppose this measure are con-
trolled" by the Morgan-Guggenheim
syndicate.
Governor Clark, former Governor
HCgatt and Lewis Z. Shackleford, Re
publican national committeeman from
Alaska, have all been included in
these omnibus statements.
In this connection Mr.. ShaCklefOrd
made public a statement tonight in
which he charges that lobby Is
being maintained I'm Washington In
behalf of these special privileges"
bills. He attacked Delegate Wicker
sham of Alaska in vigorous fashion
Mr.. Shackleford believes the an
nouncement Of President Taft's policy
will do much to 'clear the air. in
Alaska.
Presidents Statement.
The White House statement fol-
lows:
The secretary Of the interior was
asked to give his opinion to the COM
mittee on territories of the House on
House bill 22.557 to aid in the con-
struction of a railroad. telegraph and
telephone lines in the territory Of
Alaska, and to secure to the govern
ment of the United States the use of
the same for postal. military and
other purposes. The bill proposes TO
give government assistance to a par
ticular road mentioned therein.
ITO that end the secretary of the
interior replied: 1t is believed that
| any government aid I'm the construc-
ton of trunk lines Of railroads gen.
I orally in Alaska should be extended
only after routes have been recon-
/ mended by competent board of gov
eminent officers and approved by the
| President, or some competent execu-
/ tive authority. and after bids shall
L ndNB UGH invited Lne cOuSLIuc-
| ton OF lines Of railroads over such
/ routes as may have been approved IN
l this manner. This department deems
| inadVlsable the enactment Of legisla-
/ ton granting government aid to any
/ particular railroad corporation as pro-
/ posed in the bill under consideration
The letter was forwarded to the
/ President on May Is, 1910, for ap-
I prevail before its delivery to the COM
/ mittee, and received his full concur
/ renee.
View of Mr.. ShaclxIeford.
Mr.. Shackleford in his statement
/ says in part:
The announcement Of the Presi-
/ dent, endorsing the policy adopted by
/ the secretary Of the interior. Is most
| important to Alaska For the last five
years the source of nearly all the APP
parent difficulty we have had with
complaints against the principal of
/ ficials and the dissatisfaction with ref
I erence to the administration by these
| officials in Alaska has been a set Of
| lobbyists who have fascinated them
| selves with the idea that IL will be
| possible to secure the passage OF a
| government aid bill, directed in favor
of special crowd, and which will
make their property marketable the
minute IL is passed and approved.
They haunt Congress and various
financial centers with such schemes.
If anyone refuses them aid, ne is i'm
mediately accused of being interested
with some of the railroads now build
ing In Alaska without any special
legislation and without any govern
ment aid.
The delegate from Alaska has in
terested himself in this character of
legislation. and In his testimony be-
fore the House committee on terri
tories. March 90, 1910, has stated he
viii not object to such legislation.
AS soon as the other Alaskans in
Washington declined to become in
terested in this character Of legisla-
ton, he and the lobbyists Joined in a
bitter personal attack upon officials
or other persons interested in Alaska
who don't endorse their attempt &c