The Salt Lake tribune. [volume] (Salt Lake City, Utah) 1890-current, 1910-03-26

with representative Of the syndicate tc
inspect and examine the coal property
The GuggenhciTs had notified Cunning
ham that they had been advised by coun.
sci not 10 purchase the claims In their in
completed state, and had requested thai
} the patents be hurried,
Claim of Justification.
In the testimony OF MIR. Birch that
Cunningham stated carry III lgUS tnat he
considered the agreement with the Gug
genheims nut and VOID. Attorney Ver-
Iatfees claimed Justification Tor the Cum
ningham atndavitS ol March and Sep
lemper. lJuS. IN which he declared tue
Susgenhcims had no direct or Indirect
Il interest In the claims, There has been
talk of possible prosecution for perjury
ana SuDornation of perjury IN connection
presented by Mr. Ballinger TO Secretary
Garfield,
Resuming his testimony, Mr., Birch
said tnat he did not know that Mr., Bal
| !inScr was commissioner OF the lanu Of
lice in 1907.
Mr.. Birch, what Is the value OF the
Cunningham coal properly asked Mr..
AT the present time it has no value "
You mean because The patents have
| not been iSsucd2'
II mean the coal in the ground there
at present has no value. There Is no
transportation and a market has got 10
Is going TO cost to mine the coal
is IL any more problematicnl than it
was when YOU testified before the senate
| committee on territories?'
| 'We were assuming transportation fa-
! cilitles AT that time and assuming also
| n mining cost of SlI5 r ton and sale
| price of $2.25 "A ton.
You testified there were 500. 600. coo
tons OF coal in the <atalla held?'
Yes. il was estimated by the engi-
ncers that the Cunningham group con-
tanned nifty million tons and represented
about one-tenth the value OF the entire
field.
Birch ii the testimony he gave before
the committee was In general correct
and II it could be considered sworn
testimony in the present proceedings
Feels He Is Abused.
Yes" he replied, but / don't think
] would have said as much as / did II
had been talking to press gallery,
But the report OF your testimony is
a government document"
Il know II, but IL has been printed
In every paper in the United States. II
Mr., Birch said the Guggenheims were
operating their railroad properties in
Alaska with British Columbia coal which
costs S1l.SS ton at Cordova, Alaska.
And you can't use the coal right at
Your doors2" suggested Senator Nelson.
No, sir; the government won't let
The reason the government won't let
us appeared to be that no patents had
been granted.
Mr.. Brande;is read to the witness the
March l9oS: In which he ecla declared the the
claims and that there had been no writ
ten agreement with any corporation.
did Mr.. Cunningham confer with you
before making that aflidavit?' demanded
Mr.. .Brandeis.
mo, sir"
When did you first learn of that af
fldaytt?"
The Alaska syndicate. Mr.. Birch con-
tended. -.as no interest In any Alaska
coal claims other than the interest 1t
may have in the Cunningham group.
Mr.. Brandeis and the witness got into
wordy wrangle as to the latters prop
osItion TO buy an interest in the Hart
line group of claims.
The attorney sought to show Birch
was acting for the Gucgenheims.
The witness asserted he was capable
financially of buying the whole Hartline
group. He wanted that thoroughly un-
derstood He was willing to take 1t as
4 speculation.
Denies Having Monopoly.
Representative Graham asked the wit
ness a number OF questions designed TO
a monopoly OF transportation facilities to
Alaska from the United States. Mr..
Birch declared the syndicate owned
twelve ships, while competing lines op-
crate twenty eight He denied the Yukon
& White Pass railroad was controlled by
the syndicate or by any OF its members.
Mr., Birch said II anybody else wished
to get TO the copper country they tried
TO DO as the Guggenheims did-build
Vow. Mr.. Birch" concluded Represen-
tative Graham, "if the syndicate owned
the Alaska coal 1t would own Alaska,
would II not?" a
mo. sir"
How much money has the syndicate
invested in Alaska?" asked Mr.. Bran
"a bout 5000 900"
What dividend does this syndicate
pay2" asked Representative Olmsted,
None. We have put all that money in |
and have not got cent out yet.
The witness said, despite all this. the
syndicate had hopes"
Representative Madison asked II IL was |
not a fact the Alaska syndicate steam
shin company handled more business |
from the United States TO Alaska than |
did all the other lines pu,t, pn!,,,ng together: s,,
this He said he would submit the fig |
ures later.
Rates Gould Be Higher.
Mr. Birch said II there was no compe-
ttion to Alaska the rates would be much |
higher. -
steele said he thought the committee was
the department OF the in |
terror and the bureau OF forestry He did |
not see what the details of all the invest
ments Of the Morgan Guggenhelm compa- |
nies had to do with It.
Representative Graham declared early |
In the inquiry the chairman had ruled |
the private affairs of companies and wit
nesses were legitimate sources OF in
quiry.
Senator Nelson said he recalled no such |
ruling Mr.. Graham offered 10 produce
the record but the chairman said he |
would look It up himself Representative
Madison wanted also TO know II IL was
true there was Gigantic scheme on
foot TO control great part of Alaska"
'fThat Is your inference remarked the
Mr. Brandeis drew from the witness
that the development OF Alaska depended |
almost wholly upon the opening of the |
coal fields When he had done this he |
turned Rercely upon the witness and de-
to know IT, In view of this fact |
the Guggenheims had sat quietly for two
years and made no exertion to have pat
cnts issued for the Cunningham group.
"All we did was TO tell Cunningham to
hurry UP with his patents"
do you mean to say with all the In
auence and power of the Morgans and |
in this country they made
no efforts In this direction except your
feeble Efforts Is that what you wish
this committee 10 understand"
at Is"
IAN this influence and power went for