Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1910-03-11
Affirmed That Cuggenheims Had No In.
tereSt in His Alaskan Coal Land Claims,
While the Contrary Was the Fact
--Cartie|d's Testimony Ended.

Washington, March 10.-James r.
| Garfield, eX-secretary OF the interior,
| vas finally excused from the witness
| stand at the Ballnger-P inchot inves-
| tigation late today. His final hour
hour before the committee furnished
| the sensation Of what had been up to
| the time a decidedly dull day
Mr.. Garfield said that Mr.. Bal!inger,
after having been commissioner OF the
land office. submitted to him on Sept.
II, 1908, an affidavit signed by Clarence
| Cunningham, containing the statement
tfat the Guggenheims had no interest
whatever in the Cunningham group of
coal Gains in Alaska, whereas the rec
| ord Of a recent hearing before the SEN
ate committee on territories shows that
| prior to the making of the affidavit
| the Guggenheim syndicate was gwen
an option of half interest in all the
| Cunningham claims.
Attorney Brandeis, who was ques-
| tioning Mr.. Garfield, followed up these
| declarations by reading from Secretary
| 3alinger's report to President Taft on
| Sept last concerning the CLAWS
| charges. the statement that Mr.. Bal
| linger suggested to Mr.. Cunningham
| an amendment to any affidavit made
| prior to the one which he presented
to Secretary Garfield in September,
| 1905 and that cunningham mace the
amendment by explaining in detail
what he meant by certain terms used
| in his former affidavit.
| The oX-secrctary OF the interior was
| examined and CroSs-oNamined as 10
| his administration of office, Whlch he
| gaze M to Mr.. Ballinger on March D.
| 1909 Ir explaining what he did as 10
| the withdrawal Of lands without Sps-
cific provision Of law, Mr.. Garfield de-
clared he was working in the interest
of the people and to prevent monoP-
oiistic control Of poWer sites and con
souuent eXtortionate prices to the con-
sumner.
A.. p. Davis. chief engineer of the re-
clamation service. followed Mr.. Gar
| field on the stand. Mr.. Davis sald ne
| nrercrrcd not to testify unless directed
| to do 50 by the committees Chairman
Nelson gave the direction and Mr. Da-
Wis had lust started his testimony Whon
adjournment was taken until tomorrow
morning.
| Washington, March l0.-The Bal
lnnger Pinchot investigation was re-
summed today with James r. Garfield
| former secretary of the interior. on
the witness stand.
| The examination of Mr.. Garfield was
taken M at the point where it was
left off when the committee adjourned
last saturday. Mr.. Garfield had just
| beeun n detailed explanation of the
| ph
duced in Congress during his term as
secretary. He continued MS eNpiaha-
ton at the opening of the session 10
day.
| At the hearings on the coal l'hd
bills. Mr.. Garfield said that he and Ar-
| Ballinger. who was then commissioners
of the land office. differed on the queS-
ton as to whether proposed future
classification of coal lands IN Alaska
and an increase of price over Sio an
acre should apply to locations already
made and entered. The witness sald
Mr. Ballinger thought lands already
entered should be allowed patent AT
the $40 an acre rate provided by the
old law This would have allowed the
Cunningham claims to be paid for AT
that price.
Questioned by Senator sutherland
Mr. Garfield said he believed himself
that as to locations made in good
faith the entrymen should have the
right to the $40 price
Mr. Garfield then read an exchange
lof letters between himself and Mr..
Ballinger after the latter had left the
land office in April, 1908. and while
the coal bills were still pending.
Mr.. Ballinger's letter was evidently
called out by some criticism of his
lcourse before the committee OF Con-
gress and he explained his position
lconcluding with the statement that be-
fore leaving Washington he had talk
ed with President Roosevelt about the
whole matter and that the President
had commended his action.
In his reply to Mr.. Ballinger Secre-
tary Garfield urged him not to be dis
turbed about his position on the coal
bills: that he had always understood
it and had told newspaper men that
there had not been any misunder-
standing.
Mr.. Garfield said he had never read
Mr. Ballinger's testimony before the
congressional committee. however,
until he had gone out OF ONCE
Senator Nelson questioned the witness
closely as To n statement that Balliuger
had been in error in stating Mr.. Gar
fields position as to the Alaska coal bills
Mr.. Garfield said his recommendations
cited by Mr.. Ballinger applied to gen
eral coal bill and not to the Alaska mat
ter.
| But as n matter of fact. didn't vol
say you were willing to condone fraut
if the fraudulent claimants paid higher
, price based on the classification of tht
coal?' asked Senator Nelson.
1.-The effect of the section which I rec
commended was that il the entire coal bill
was passed and the government adopted