The Salt Lake tribune. [volume] (Salt Lake City, Utah) 1890-current, 1910-02-19
DENIES ATTEMPT TO
GRAB COAL LANDS
Representatives of Morgan
Guggenheim Syndicate Be-
fore Senate Committee.
ALLEGE EXAGGERATI0N IN
NEWSPAPER ARTICLES
Claim Made That Neither Public
Nor Government Was Asked
for Assistance.

WASHINGTON. Feb. lS,-The interest
Ing spectacle of the Morgan -Guggenheim
syndicate, through legal representatives.,
appearing before a congressional commit
tee TO Justify its operations In the devel-
opment OF industries In Alaska today
tee on territories. II was denied that
the syndicate had a monopoly OF any In
dustrial interest
The proceedings were unique. Some
days ago Senator BeVerldge received a
letter from j. p. Morgan &c Co. asking
permission TO send representatives TO an
swer exaggerated reports printed In the
maga zines and newspapers OF the work
of the syndicate formed by that COM
pany and the Messrs, Guggenhem."
The permission was given and today
John n. Steele. general counsel for the
syndicate. and Stephen Birch, managing
director, appeared.
Mr.. Birch was put on the stand and his
story drawn out by Mr.. steele. 1t re-
spent in The enormous development of
Alaskan resources had been furnished by
the syndicate itself. that the Morgan
Guggenheim syndicate had not issued TO
stock; that the syndicate had never re-
ceived anything from the government in
the way OF money, grants of land or spe-
II was testified further that the syn
dicate owned one railroad and had no In
terest In other holdings in Alaska. that
interest in any other, and owned no coal
lands at all.
Testimony was given about the ne
gotiations for. the Cunningham claims,
being Issued for the claims and these ne
gotiations had come to nothing.
Story of Formation.
1t was shown that the syndicate was
formed in 1906 by the purchase OF IS per
cent OF the stock of the Northwestern
- Ill rl1iO
Northwestern Steamship company and
the Northwestern Fisheries company. The
latter company packs 100000 cases OF
salmon ag%HalIy aHo nSd as compared with
ests. Last year the Alaska Steamship
company was formed by organizing
the companies in which the syndicate had
bought large interests, and IT now
operates twelve steamers, or rather
eleven, as reports today indicate that one
had been lost. A long list OF steamship
has no interest was given In support Of
its claim that il was not a monopoly.
The railroad owned by the syndicate
is now 102 miles long and Is 10 be ex
tended TO 1879 miles.
Both Messrs. Steele and Birch insisted
there was no truth in reports that the
syndicate had or was seeking a monop-
oily OF railroads, steamship lines, fisheries
copper mines and coal lands in Alaska.
They denied with great emphasis that
they were trying to "gobble up Alaska" ="
It was denied By Mr., Birch that former
Governor Hoggatt. Major Richardson
chairman of the Alaskan road commits
sion, or Delegate Wickersham ever had
been authorized to act as lobbyist for
the syndicate.
Interrogated by Senator Beveridge con-
cerning the syndicate's interest in the
coal land claims, Mr.. Birch replied that
Messrs. Guggenheim had agreed to form
S., 600 600 corporation to develop the
lands; one-half Interest to be held by the
Guggenheims and the other half by Cum
ningham and his associates. The Gus-
genheims were to pay s250,0 for their
half, he said. and in addition were to loan
800 900 II IL was needed.
Messrs. Birch and Steele will be cross
examined by the members OF the COM
nittee at another hearing.