Manchester Democrat. [volume] (Manchester, Iowa) 1875-1930, 1910-01-19
THE eALLiNGER.PlNcHor CON.
TRovERsY.

NOW that a congressive investiga-
tion has been ordered to inquire into
the matter over which Secretary Bal.
linger ana Chief Forester pinchot
have been fighting for several months
1t may be interesting to many to
read a short history of the affair up
to the present time:
In the last days of the proceeding
administration James r. Garfield, the
secretary of the interior, by direction
of President Roosevelt and with the
idea of preserving the national do
main from monopolisttc exploitation,
withdrew from entry vast tracts of
land located along the western riv-
ers Ipeculiaraly adapted for fur
hydraulic electric power.
AFT Regime Brings Change.
r., the Taft regime began, and
Rallinger replaced Garfield In the in
terror department. Chief Forester
Pinchot. through his superior. Secre-
tary Wilson of the department of as
riculture, had been recommending to
the interior department for withdraw
al as ranger sites small tracts in
the public domain outside of the for
est reserves.
There had been no difficulty under
the Roosevelt administration, but
when the first lot of the proposed
withdrawals. located in the states OF
Washington and Oregon. reached Sec.
retary Ballinger he refused to ap-
prove them. saying such action would
he adding to the forest reseryes-a
power held exclusively by congress
in those states.
This was the opening gun. Secre-
tary Wilson took the matter to Pres
ideat Taft, who referred it to Attor-
ney General Wickersham, where 1t
lay for months. 1t finally was decid-
ed in favor of Secretary Ballinger.
Pinchot Loses First Round.
Pinchot had lost the first round
of battle. hut 1t was not long before
he was again engaged in conflict with
Secretary Ballinger over the patent
| Ing OF claims in the national do
main. which happened to be on for.
est reserves.
1t developed in some mysterious
way that Secretary Ballinger. as
soon as he was installed in office. be-
gan restoring to entry thousands of
acres of the tracts which Secretary
Garfield had withdrawn under what
the latter considered the supervisory
authority of the secretary Of the in.
terror. Mr.. Ballirger took the view
that the secretary of the interior had
no such supervisory authority.
Although there We're frequent pro-
tess from the forestry service
against the course of the secretary
of the interior. Mr.. Ballinger contin-
ued to restore the withdrawn tracts
to entry until in August last, when
the CLAWS charges in regard to the
Cunningham coal claims in Alaska
added fuel to the flames.
Rich Coal Claims Involved.
The Cunningham claims, near Ka-
talia. Alaska, cover thirty-three coal
entries. comprising $3.50 acres. A re-
port made by the claimants experts
says they contain more than $4,000
900 long tons of minable coal, much
timber for mining purposes and wa
terfalls which could furnish 1000
horse power available for hauling,
lighting and working mines.
These claims had been under in
vestigation more. than a year when
they were turned over to Mr.. CLAWS,
chief of the field division of the land
office at Seattle, for investigation.
Special Agent H. r. Jones had re-
ported that in his opinion the en-
tries were suspicious and he be-
lieved were fraudulently made in the
interest of the Guggenheim mining
syndicate. Early in January, 1903,
while CLAWS was Investigating the
claims. they were clear listed for pat
ent In the land office and CLAWS
was informed of that action.
CLAWS protested at once against
this action and the clear listing Of
claims was suspended while he was
All the time and up to the latter part
ordered to resume the investigation.
of March, 1908. the superior officer OF
CLAWS was Richard Achilles Ballinger
who was commissioner of the gener-
al land office under the admlnistra-
ton of Secretary of the Interior Car
field.
Balllnser Becomes interested.
On March 8, 1908. Ballinger. then
commissioner of the general land Of
flee, had appeared before the house
committee on public lands in relation
to bill introduced by Delegate Gale
of Alaska. The Gale bill provided
for the consolidation of bona fide en-
tries on the Alaska coal lands.
Commissioner Ballinger showed
considerable familiarity with the
thirty-three entries on the Alaskan
coal lands embracing $3.50 acres near
the Bering river, in the Katalia dis
trict. He said great many of the
entrymen became involved in condi-
tions (which, on the land office rec
ords, show technical violation OF
the STATUTE" and he urged legislas
tion permitting the consultations os
the entries.
The committee disregarded Bal.
linger's suggestion, but bill intro
duced by Sen. Hepburn and amend
ed at the suggestion of Secretary Gar
field became a law. This provided
for the consolidation of claims en-
tered by locators solely in their