Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1910-01-31
KNOWS OF NO FRAUD
Mr.. McLaChIan's Connection
With Coal Claims.
MAKES PUBLIC STATEMENT
Representative Says Proposition Was
Legal-Senator Paynter Resigns
From Investigating Committee.
MAKES PUBLIC STATEMENT

Explaining his connection with Alaskan
coal claims. as brought out in the Bal
linger-Pinchot investigation. Representa-
tive McLachlan CalD today. in a state
ment in the House, mentioned Gov. Gill
lett and Representatives knowland and
Mckinlay of California as being inter-
ested in the proposition with himself and
Representative Kinkaid of Nebraska and
a number of others.
Mr. McI.achlan declared that the
proposition was entirely a legal and
ethical one. A dozen or more men OF
prominence are interested in what is
known as the Green group, he said. He
did not recall the names Of all Of his
associates.
Knows Of No Violation.
Speaking of the Green claims, Mr.
McLachIan said:
IF there has been any violation OF
law In this matter / am not aware Of
It, I went into the proposition two or
three years ago at the solicitation OF
Mr.. Green and have paid out SO far
about $4,000 in surveying and develop
ing nv claims. The land was taken up
in the ordinary manner of filing on
mineral lands.
In the beginning. l purchased the right
of the original entrymean, and L do not
kIlOW any tliili5 dDout .A'S AichhSa III
which his filling was made. II there was
anything wrong with it, it occurred be-
fore | went into 1t. / do not remember
the name of the man from whom l
bought the filing right.
Il have not yet applied for a. ptent from
the government, because 1 have been
busy with the development work. We
have found coal on the land, but do not
know how much. magazine article just
published says my claim is worth 81 &c.,
ht,$f
will be glad. In fact. l would sell out
for less than the amount l put in it.
Provisions of the Law.
THE law provides that the army and
navy can have all the coal it wants from
our claim at price to be fixed by the
government. IL our claims are sold to a
trust or monopoly the whole property re-
verts under the law to the government
Not more than 16O acres can be held
by one person. and that is the amount of
my claim. The law provides also that
there can be no consolidation of claims
aggragating more than $500 acres. The
group represented by Govx Gillett and
Representatives Mckinley, Knowland and
Gillett and myself is within that limit"
Senator Paynter Leaves Committee.
Senator Paynter Of Kentucky, pleading
illness. today resigned from the Ballinger-
Pinchot investigating committee. His
place has been offered by Minority Leader
Money to half dozen or more senator's,
but none SO far has accepted
Louis r. CLAWS will, it is expected
again be central. figure this afternoon
when the congressional committee re-
sumes it's investigation CLAWS, in his
testimony given at Saturdays session,
made statements regarding Representa-
tives McLachlan of California and Kin
kaid of Nebraska in connection with
certain Alaska coal land claims that
those gentlemen or their friends will not
permit to pass without challenge and
questioning. 1t Is expected that CLAWS
will be subjected to a hot fire of inter-
negatives when he resumes the stand.
Attorney for Claimant.
After being commissioner of the land
office. Mr. Ballinger, now Secretary of
the Interior, acted as attorney for Mr..
Kinkaid. according to Mr.. CLAWS. AS to
Mr. McLac hlan, CLAWS testified that Bal
linser had suggested to him that the
investigation against the California rep
resentative be not pursued, there had
haa,, '.too nuch of that sort of thing in