Norwich bulletin., 1910-03-26
Resumption of
 PinChot Inquiry
MANAGER OF MoRcAN-eueeEN-
 HEM SYNDICATE TEsTIFiEs.
PROVES TO BE A PERT WITNESS
Counsel for GIavis Requests That Sec retary BaIIineer Be Called as One of His Witnesses.

Washington. March 25.-The Ballin- ger-Pinchot inquiry was resumed today after an adjournment of practically two weeks, the sessions of last Friday and Saturday having been seriously inter fered with by the fight against Speaker Cannon in the house of representa- tives.
 As soon as the committee met this morning Attorney Brandeis, represent ing Louis R. Glayis and others, sur prised everyone by requesting that Secretary of the Interior Ballfnger be called as one of his witnesses. MT Brandeis said at first that he wished to identify by MT. Ballinger two letters that he desired to introduce in evi- dence at this time. Questioned further by members of the committee as to his intent, he admitted that he desired to conduct general examination of the cabinet official.
 this and called forth from MT. Brandeis the remark that from his letters he had always supposed MT. BaIlinger was ready to appear, whenever and as often as anyone connected with the Inquiry desired.
 Some members of the committee seemed to think that MT. Ballinger as the person most interested in the in- quiry should have opportunity to make his statement first in his own way and not subject himself to a cross exam ination before being examined in chief. The matter was passed over tempora-
 
 session
 Birch Tells of Alaska Syndicate.
 The witness stand was occupied dur ing the entire day by Stephen Birch, managing director of the Morgan Guggenheim syndicate in Alaska. It was thought at first that MT. Birch's testimony would be largely perfunctory in character and would follow the lines of his statement recently made before the senate committee on territories. M lem nf hA became deeply interested in the opera tions of the Alaska syndicate and they piled the witness with questions from every possible angle. Much of the questioning was intended to show that the Guggenheims practically control Alaska. MT. Birch stoutly denied this.
 Value of Coal Lands.
 Well" he was asked by Representa- tive Graham. If the Guggenheims got control of the coal lands in Alaska, what would there be leet?"
 MT. Birch said he didn't think this was a fair question to ask him. Flo admitted, however. that the Guggen helms interests were large, that they and that they had contracted for ths expenditure of other millions. There had been no returns from these invest ments as yet. But the syndicate "had hopes"
 As to the Cunningham claims, Mir Birch produced the option which a committee of the claimants gave Dan iel Guggenheim July 20. 1907. He de- clared that this option was accepted by the Guggenhefms Dec. of that year The claimants, however, never lived up to it's terms. He said that in January or February, 1908. Cunning ham contended that the Guggenheims themselves had voided the option by changing their railroad base from katalla to Cordova and that further more the option was of no effect be- cause a majority of the claimants never ratified it.
 Power of Morssns and Guaaenheinns.
 MT. Brandeis sought to show that the Morgans and Guggenheims, with their great power and influence in this country" must have brought this in- huencing power to bear during the past two years in an effort to get patents granted to the Cunningham claimants. MT. Birch answered that he knew of no such efforts having been made.
 What could we have done2" he protested.
 "Afl, MT. Birch, you can answer that far better than l." dramatically ex- claimed MT. Brandeis.
 As to his estimate that the coal fin Alaska was worth fifty cents q ton and that therefore Cunningham claims rep resented an actual value of $25,o00,000, Mir Birch declared that 1t was just as sensible to say that the icebergs in Alaska were of inestimable value. The icebergs, he said, would be valuable if they could be brought bo market in this country. So it was with the coal, but first the transportation facilities had to be provided.
 It was evident today that members of the committee are growing irritable and that this durability extends to the ,unseL There were frequent clashes and both Messrs. Brandeis and Yer trees made apologies at the close Of the