Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1910-06-25

Harry III. Schwartz chief Of the gen.
raj land Office field service and one of
the prominent figures in the Ballinger-
Pinchot controversy. rendered his resig-
nation TO Commissioner bennett of the
land Office today. 1t was transmitted to
Secretary of the Interior Ballinger. who
accepted it at once and announced the
appointment of James N. Sheridan. now
special agent of the land office. with
headquarters at Denver. and who was in
charge of the governments inquiry into
the Cunningham Alaskan coal claims.
sioner bennett sent letters to Mr..
Schwartz congratulating him on the
splendid service which he has rendered
the department
For over year both Secretary Bal
linger and Commissioner bennett have
been aware that Mr.. Schwartz desired to
leave the government service and enter
tine practice of law, but when the Bal
fnger-Pinchot controversy came on he
consented to remain in the service. He
will so shortly to Portland Ore. where
he will be associated with Clarence f.
Moulton i'm the practice of his profession.
Thirteen Years in Service.
Asked as to the occasion of his resigna-
ton. Mr.. Schwartz said: 81 have given
the government thirteen years service,
and IL Is time to go out and seek a COM
potency in the practice of law. 1 asked
to be relieved year ago. but shortly
thereai .er charges were filed against the
management of the Interior Department
and / felt it my duty to remain until
the innocence of the officers charged
was established. That result has been
accomplished.
At the conclusion of the sessions of the
joint committee of Congress to investigate
the Interior Department and forest service
Mr.. Schwartz informed the commissioner
that ii would be impossible for him to re-
main longer because Of the sacrifice to his
personal interests.
Mr.. Schwartz has been connected with
the general land Office for the past eleven
years. with the exception of brief period
when he was assistant United States at
torney at Helena, Mont His service in
the land Office has covered that of a spe-
ciaI agent in the field. a chief of field divi-
sion. and chief Of field service with head
quarters in Washington. during which
time he has on numerous occasions served
as acting assistant commissioner of the
general land Office.
He has earned, IL is declared an en-
via1le reputation as an executive officer
and for his vigorous assistance in seeing
That the land laws of the United States
innerfect as they are, were lived I'D to
And the requirements obeyed. He has
been especially solicitous in the matter of
the personnel of the special agents force
he mas been largely instrumental during
the past three years in pushing nvesti-
cations of fraudulent entries of coal and
timber lands. and during his reign pro-
ceedings have been had to cancel 493 coal
land patents and s3S timber-land patents
frauduiently acquired. and TO cancel 40
timber entries and 1lJ coal entries for
lands illegally sought. During the same
period $Sc4.2tG.3J was collected and turn
ed into the Treasury because of depreda-
tions oy trespassers upon public lands.
Served in Philippines.
James VI. Sheridan. who succeeds Mr.
Schwartz. is an attorney and has been
successful in prosecuting many coal and
timber cases in Colorado. He was for
merly In the Philippines. where he at
tracted the attention of President Taft
who was then governor of those islands
lie Was transferred to the Interior De.
pertinent from the War Department sew
eral years ago.
Tne cul res, ,Ondence between the Secre
tary or The Interior, commissioner of the
general land office and Mr.. Schwartz ir
connection with his resignation follows:
June ~. 1910.
THE Honorable Commissioner of The
General Land Office.
Sir:
hereby tender my resignation as
chief of the field service of the general
land office You will ecali that | wished to
De refeved one year ago. but have re-
manned at my post pending conclusion
or the congressional inquiry into the
charges made against officers of this de-
partment. ] have given this last years
service gladly. for that il furnished op-
portunity to aid in establishing the truth
ana demonstrating to the public the en-
tire Innocence of those against whom
charges were preferred
My public land service dates from 1897
ana l leave il and its asociat .ons with
regret, but in the belief that I have earn
ed right to seek the better compensa-
tion possible in the parctice of my pro-
fession. which I shall engage in at Port
Respectfully.
III. III. SCHWARTZ
Chief of the Field Service
Superiors Express Regret.
June "a 1910
"My Dear Mr. Schwartz:
1T is with great regret that | re-