The San Francisco call., 1910-03-26


sale price of 1925 ton
You testified there were 500,O00,oO0
| tons of coal in the Katalla field?
Yes, 1T was estimated by the engl-
neers that the Cunningham group con-
tanned 50,000,000 tons and represented
about tenth of the entire field
READS CUNNINGHAM AFFIDAVIT
Brandeis read to the witness the
affidavit made by Cunningham in
| March, 1908, in which he declared the
Guggenheims had no interest in the
claims and that there had been no
written agreement with any corpora
tion.
Did Mr. Cunningham confer with
you before making that afidavit?' de-
manded Brandeis.
No, sir"
When did you first learn of that
affidavit?"
"Just now"
The Alaska syndicate, Birch con-
tended, has no interest in any Alaska
coal claims other than the interest it
may have" in the Cunningham group.
Brandeis and the witness got into a
wordy wrangle as to the latter's propo-
sition to buy an interest in the Hart
line group of claims. The attorney
sought to show Birch was acting for
the Guggenheims. The witness assert
ed he was capable financially of buying
the whole Hartline group. He wanted
that thoroughly understood. He was
willing to take it as speculation.
Representative Graham asked the
witness number of questions designed
to show the Guggenheims practically
have a monopoly of transportation fa-
cilities to Alaska from the United
! States. Birch declared the syndicate
owned IL ships, while competing lines
operate 2S. He denied the Yukon and
White Pass railroad was controlled by
the syndicate or by any of its members
Birch said if anybody else wished to
get to the copper country they tried to
do as the Guggenheims did-build a
railroad.
Now. Mr.. Birch" concluded Repre-
sentative Graham, ''if the syndicate
owned the Alaska coal it would own
Alaska, would it not?'
NO, sir
How much money has the syndicate
invested in Alaska?" asked Brandeis.
About $4,000, ,000."
PAYS NO DIVIDENDS
What dividend does this syndicate
pay?" asked Representative Olmstead.
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 if ii
were not fact the Alaska syndicate
steamship company handled more busi-
ness from the United States to Alaska
than did all the other lines put to-
gether.
Birch was not willing to admit this.
He said he would submit the figures
later.
Birch said if there was no competi-
tion to Alaska the rates would be
much higher.
In behalf of his fellow witness Steele
said he thought the committee was in
vestigating the department of the inte-
rior and the bureau of forestry. He
did not see what the details of all the
investments of the Morgan -Guggen-
helm companies had to do with it.
Representative Madison wanted also
to know if it was not true there was
gigantic scheme on foot to control
great part of Alaska"
THAT is your inference" remarked
the witness.
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 fiereely upon the witness and
demanded to know if, in view of this
fact, the Guggenheims had sat quietly
for two years and made no exertion to
have patents issued for the Cunning
ham group.
"All we did was to tell Cunnin CHAM
to hurry up with his patents
USED NO INFLUENCE
do you mean to say, with all the
influence and power of the Morgans
and Guggenheims in this country, they
made no efforts in this direction ex-
cept your feeble efforts? Is that what
&l.s. ffn4 30
stand?
"It is"
-.All this influence and power went
for nothing?"
What could we do? We had nothing
to do with the patents, did we?"
Birch, 1 think you are better able
to answer than l." remarked the attor-
ney, dramatically.
When the committee and Brandeis
finally had concluded their direct and
cross examinations of the witness he
was turned over to Vertrees.
When Vertrees concluded his brief
cross examination. Attorney Brandeis
demanded if the Guggenheims had tried
to control all of the wharfage at Cor
dova. He asked particularly If Jack
Dalton of Dalton trail fame had not
tried to erect wharf near the COM
pany's property and been thrown in
jail in consequence
Jack put up hut and drove few
piles in front of our property said
the witness, but it was purely graft
scheme Some of his friends came to
US and wanted to know If we didn't
want to buy Jack out rather than have
trouble. That's all there was to that"
This ended the testimony of Birch,
and the committee adjourned until to-
morrow.
KILLED IN AUTO ACCIDENT-Fort Collins,
Colo. March 25.-welington Hlbbard, gen.
eral manager OF the Laramie Poudre reservoir
and irrigation company. was killed today when