Bismarck daily tribune. [volume] (Bismarck, Dakota [N.D.]) 1881-1916, 1910-03-26
BALLINGER IS
CONTINUED from Page H.

CONTINUED from Page H.
general examination of the accus-
ed cabinet official.
Counsel for Rallinger objected to
this and called forth from Mr.. Bran
deis the remark that from his let
tiers he hal always supposed Ballin-
ger to be ready to appear, whenever
and as often as any one connected
with the inquiry desired.
Some members of the committee
seemed to think that Mr.. Ballinger
as the person most interested in the
inquiry, should have opportunity to
make his statement first In his own
way and not subject himself to a
cross.examination before being ex.
amined in chief. The matter was
passed. over temporarily to be de-
cidei later in executive session.
The witness stand was occupied
during the entire day by stephen
Birch. managing director of the Nor.
gan-Guggenheim syndicate in Alas
ka. It was thought at first that Mr..
Birch's testimony would be largely
perfunctory in character and would
follow the lines of his statement re-
Gently made before the senate com
mittee on territories. Members of
the committee, however, became
deeply interested in the operations
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 Guggenheim's con-
trolled practically all Alaska. Mr..
Birch stoutly denied this.
WELL" he was aske1 by Repre-
sentative Graham, "If the Guggen-
helms got control of the coal lands
in Alaska, what would there be
left?"
Mr.. Birch said he did not think
this was fair question to ask him.
He admitted that the Guggenheim's
interests were large, that they had
invested some SIS 900 900 already
and had contracted for the expendi-
ture of other millions. There had
been no returns from these invest
ments as yet. But the syn licate
Had hopes"
As to the Cunningham claims,
Mr.. Birch produced the option which
a committee of the claimants had
given to Daniel Guggenheim July 20,
1907. He declared that this option
hal been accepted by t e Guggen-
helms December of that year. The
claimants, however, had never lived
up to it's terms. Cunningham, he
said. in January or February, 1905,
had contended that the Guggenheims
themselves hal avoided the option
by changing their railroad base from
Katalla to Cordova and that fur;
thermore the option was, of no ef
feet because a majority of the claim
ants had never satisfied it. Mr..
Brandeis sought to show that the
Morgan's AMI Guggenheim's with
their Great power and influence. in
this country" must Lave brought
this influencing power to bear dur
ing the past two years in an effort
to get patents granted to the Cum
bingham claimants. Mr.. Birch de-
clared, however, that he knew of
no such efforts having been made.
what could we have done" he
protested.
"Ah, Mr.: Birch, you can answer
that far better than L." dramatically
exclaimed Mr.. Brandeis,
AS to his estimate that the coal
in Alaska was worth fifty cents
ton and that therefore the Cunning
ham claims represented an actual
value Of $25 ,00O,0 900, Mr.. Birch de-
clared that it was just as sensible
to say that the ice bergs in Alaska
were of inestimable value. The ice
bergs, he said would be valuable If
they could be brought to market in
this country. So it was with the
coal, but first the transportation IA
cilities had to be provided.
It was evident today that members
of the committee are growing irrita-
BILE and that this irritability ex-
tends to the counsel. There was
frequent clashes AMI both Brandeis
and Vertres made apologies at the
close of the session for impatient
remarks. -