The enterprise. [volume] (Harlem, Mont.) 1899-1926, 1910-03-09
TO PUT END TO
ALASKAN STEALS
BEVERiDGE'S BILLS AIM TO PRE-.
VENT FURTHER LoOTING OF
PUBLIC DOMAIN,
VAST SUMS ARE INVOLVED
Riches Of Such Magnitude That They
Are Estimated in Billions at Stake
Bad Features Of Railroad
Rate Bill.

shington.-Basing his action up
on the disclosures made before the
committee on territories by the repre-
sentatives of the Morgan-Guggenheim
syndicate, Senator Beverage has in
troduced into the senate bills to pre-
vent the further looting of the natural
resources remaining in the public do
main in Alaska
His bills provide that all coal lands
shall be withdrawn from public entry,
and that hereafter individuals and
corporations who desire to operate
these lands shall do so through leases
which are to run for not more than
80 years, and which are to cover not
more than $500 acres in any one
lease.
Mr.. Beveridge made statement to
the senate when he presented the bills
which in part is as follows:
'Returning to the testimony before
the committee which gives point and
substance to this particular thing at
this time, call the attention of the
senate to the fact that the testimony
of the manager of The Alaska Syndi.
cate who voluntarily appeared be.
fore our committee, and who repre-
sented The Alaska Syndicate which
Is made up of the M. Guggenheim
Sons and ]. P. Morgan & Company
interests, testified under cross-exam.
ination that the cash value of the
Boring river coal fields alone was
$900,O0O,000 gross; that it would prob
ably take $700,OO0,000 out of this
$900.O00,000 to develop the coal fields
and get the Coz. to the market, leav-
ing profit on the $70O,00O,OO0 Of
$20O,000,000. or nearly 30 per cent.
And these coal fields are quite near
the seaboard. quite convenient to
port.
Other Fields Immensely Rich.
1T was further testified that what
is known as the 'Matanuska coal
fields in the Cook inlet region, were
in themselves worth at least as much
as the Boring river coal fields. That
is another $90O,000.00O.
"But, Mr.. President, this is not all.
l have secured the advanced report
concerning Alaska Of the geological
survey, and it shows that, in addition
to these two coal fields where $780,
100000 at least are accounted for
there are extensive coal deposits in
the Alaska peninsula region, in the
Yukon region. in the Seward PENN
sula, and in northern Alaska. So it
is certain that all the coal in Alaska
is worth many billions of dollars
not many millions. but many billions
I will not say how many billions. for
the aggregate astounds the under.
standing and probably would not be
credited If expressed in dollars"
Senator Beveridges bills and his
speech are significant in that their
bearing upon the Ballinger case was
clearly apparent, and also because
they were accepted as formal aban.
donment by the senator of the dis.
credited if expressed in dollars"
Scheme Of Gigantic Size.
This bill, the Ballinger scandal and
the efforts of the ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS
syndicate to grab everything of value
in Alaska are now so closely associ.
ated in the suspicion with which all
! are regarded, that they are naturally
| discussed as parts of the same gigan,
| tic scheme against the public interest
The Alaskan bill was so clearly in
tended to benefit the great financial
combination that it was bitterly on
posed in the senate until it's with
draWal became necessary to proven,
further scandal. 1t was proposed and
advocated as an administration bill
and was urged by President Taft up
on senators when they called at the
White House.
Under the bill providing for a legis
lative council for Alaska, it was con
tended that that council would have
charge over the resources of thai
country, and that the Morgan.Guggen
helm syndicate would have been able
to control them. In fact, Messrs
Birch and Steele admitted as much
before the committee on territories
Senator Beverage, who reported the
Alaskan legislative bill from the com
mittee on territories. when it wa!
brought to his attention that thi.
would be the result consented to hav
ing the bill deposed from the position
of vantage which it had as unfinished
business of the senate, and when tn,
Morgan-Guggenheim representative
made the damaging admissions befor,
his committee as to the wealth of tn,
prize for which they were contend
ing in Alaska, he brought in the bills
the effect of which will be to preserv,
that prize to the public. There is n,
doubt but that a majority of the mel
in this congress are not in sympath,
with a real conservation policy, bu
in the light of the testimony O
Messrs. Birch and Steele, and Of tn
Investigations as to the mineral fue
wealth of the country made by tn,
geological survey, it is believed tina