The Fargo forum and daily republican. [volume] (Fargo, N.D.) 1894-1957, 1910-01-15
LETTER WHICH CAUSED TAFT
TO TIE TIN-WARE TO PINCH0T
Forum Publishes in Fu Both Letters in the Famous Pncho
Taft Episode Taft Letter to PnchOt Besides Being
Dismissal Is Singer


two documents which have been
synopslzed in the Associated Press
dispatches. and will be commented
upon much during the cominG months.
The letter of Mr.. Pinchot to Senator
Dolltver and the presidents letter of
dismissal are therefore both presented
i'm full No comment Is needed to al
low the reader TO ascertain who is in
the right in this matter.
United States Department of Agri-
culture, Office of the Forester, Wash
ington. Jan. s, 1s10.--Hon j. p, Dol
liver, Chairman OF the Committee on
Agriculture and Forestry, United
States Senate: My Dear Senator: In
accordance with your request, am
glad to make statement concerning
certain actions OF Messrs. Price and
Shaw, chiefly in reference to claims
Chugach national forest BY my d.
rection they have prepared an official
report on the subject. which am
transmitting at once to the secretary
Of agriculture.
This report shows that Messrs.
Price and shaw made public certain
official information regarding the So
| called cunningham claims" for coal
lands in Alaska. The effect of the
publication was TO direct critical pub
! lie attention to the actions of the in
terror department.
| 1t shows also that the countenance
| the publication by L. r. CLAWS Of GER
/ tain facts concerning these claims af-
| ter he had been dismissed from office,
and that in other ways they endeavor-
ed to direct public attention to the
imminent danger that the Alaska coal
fields, still in government ownership,
4 might pass forever into private hands
With little or no compensation to the
/ public.
The report further makes 1t clear
i that the information in reference to
the Cunningham coal claims made
public by Price and Shaw was prop
erly within the knowledge Of the for
estry service, because rheEe claims lie
chiefly within a national forest. This
| information, also, was of a nature
proper to be made public unless there
are secrets which the people of the
| United States are not entitled to know
concerning the source, nature and
i progress Of claims made for portions
OF the public lands. The rumor that
i the CLAWS report to the president was
prepared in or by the forestry service
is incorrect. At CLAWS request went
it was proper that j should, to Chi
TO Chicago to assist him in arranging
his material for submission tothe presi-
dent. No material contained in the
1
directly or indirectly by any member
of the forestry service.
Messrs. Price and Shaw were con-
fronted by an extraordinary situation
Information had come to them which
convinced them that the public inter
ests i'm a matter within the line o.
their official duties were in grave dan,
ger at the hands of fraudulent claim.
ants to these coal lands.
Action through the usual officia
channels, and finally even an appeal Il
the president, had resulted Cbecaus,
of what / believe TO have been a mis-
taken impression of the facts) in eli,
minating from the government service
in the person of CLAWS, the mos
vigorous defender of the peoples in.
terests. Furthermore, the refusal O
the secretary of the interior to ASSUME
responsibility in the cases had lef
/ their conduct wholly in the hands o
surbordinates. each of whom was arp,
| parently committed In favor Of pat
enting these claims.
! Finally, from the report as a who'll
: ir is aIbundantly evident that the &C
ton of Price and SHAW was takeI
a. IL.
| the property of the people OF tn,
! United States. 1t is clear not only tina
they acted from a high and unselflsl
sense of public duty, but that they de
! liberately chose to risk their officia
i positions rather than permit wha
t they believed to be the wrongful los
. of public property.
You asked me what recommends
ton / would make to Secretary viii
j son as to Price and Shaw. Withou
Z hesitation / should take the position
THAT their action violated a rule o
! lpropriety ais between the departments
/ 1t deserved reprimand and has re
i ceived one. But / shall recommend
3 likewise without hesitation, that NJ
/ further action in their case is re
CURED
IL My reasons for this recommends
{ tion are as follows:
E The action Of these two men wa
{ most unusual. but so was the situa
: ton which called it forth. The bes
r proof is that congress itself has beei
asked to take the extraordinary ste
\ of Investigating the department o
i, the interior, notwithstanding that it |
4 a part OF the coordinate branch Of TIL
D government. This action of congress
Q cannot be ascribed to the conduct 0
q the two subordinate officials
I Price and Shaw successfully Directs
{ public attention to a national danger
n They increased the peoples interes
3 in the peoples property and power
fully fostered the desire to conserv
1t. There is now far ess chance tina
! the Alaska coal fields will pass int
! the hands Of fraudulent claimant
/ / than there was before they acted.
\ They acted on what they believe
4 TO be trustworthy information. Man
& considerations which had not bee
q brought home to the presidents mint
4 as appears from his letter OF Sept. i;
. had weight with them.
The rules of official decorlm exits
il lin the interest of efficient administra
/ tlon and of that alone. II they ar
. used to prevent an honest and vigilan
) officer from saving the property 3
: the public. their purpose Is violated
a and they have become worse than use
d less.
a. Price and Shaw concede that wins
a they did transgressed propriety. Bu