The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1910-04-29

sioner of the land office. Readins
from the Roosevelt telegram, he said:
1T is your duty to help me. You
and Garfield will lift an ir1mense bur
den from my shoulders"
Roosevelt Won Him.
1t was then, Mr.. Ballinger said, that
he decided to accept the post, and Mr..
Vertrees asked the witness whether his
relations with Garfield then were
Friendly. but never intimate. i
knew Mr.. Garfield in college,
Mr.. Vertrees asked Mr.. Ballinger
whether he knew any Of the Cunning
ham Alaskan coal claimants at the
time he became commissioner. He
said he was not aware he knew any of
them at that time, but had since dis
covered that he knew about six of
them, whom he named.
. Did you have any interest in
Alaskan lands?' asked Mr.. Vertrees.
II had no interest in Alaskan or any
other lands whatsoever, either directly
or Indirectly" retorted Mr.. Balhnger
emphatically-
What professional relations did you
or your law firm have at that time with
Alaska?''
''I don't recall that we represented
any with the possible exception Of
Watson Allen, a Iumberman, who had
some interests in Nome in placer gold
diggings."
Ihat was ALI.
Now wait. L want to qualify that
statement. 1 did represent the Pioneer
Mining company which I organized in
1904, or 1905. It's interests were in and
about Nome and it was composed
largely of Scandinavians" Mr.. Bal
linger then told of having come to
Washington and of an interview he
had at the White House with Presi-
dent Roosevelt soon after his arrival
Raising his voice, Mr.. Ballinger said:
-
greeted me, I have no apologies to
make, Ballinger. I'm glad you are here.
An man who could clean up Seattle as
you did, can clean up that land office ="
Land Office Clean Up.
Mr.. Ballinger then described how he
cleaned up the land office. relating in
detail the many changes he had made
and the innovations he had introduced.
Mr.. Ballinger said he first met L. r.
CLAWS in San Francisco in the summer
of 1907. AT that time he said nothing
had been said about coal lands but
that CLAWS had asked him to secure
his transfer to Portland when he re-
turned to Washington.
Explaining why he had put H. K.
Love in charge of the Alaskan coal
special agent. Mr. Ballinger said he
lacked confidence in Jones.
His action before this committee
justif1es my opinion of him." said Mr..
Mr.. Ballinger at the inquiry.
Attorney Vertrees asked Mr.. Bal
linger about a conference he had with
CLAWS in December, 1907. He refer
fore the committee that they had talk
ed about several specific groups of
Alaska coal claims.
That's a wilful and deliberate lie,"
had discussed the situation in general,
but that he knew nothing about any
groups
The Cunningham Claims.
Mr.. vertrees called the witnesses at
tention to the matter of clear listing
of the Cunningham entries by his order
as commissioner in January, 1908.
Mr.. Ballinger said he and Chief of
Field Division Schwartz had gone over
the report on che claims of H. K. Love,
made on August 2, 1907, and decided
that the claims were entitled to patent,
there being NJ protest in the record
"I want to say right here" said Mr.
Ballinger, "tkat if I were passing over
those same claims today. with the same
record before me, I would say they
were entitled to be clear listed"
He was emphatic on this point and
reiterated 1t several times
''Did you represent any of the Cum
ningham claimantS?'' asked Mr.. YER
trees.
"I never had any professional or le-
gal business with the men listed as
Cunningham entrymen,'' responded
Mr.. Ballinger.
The secretary denied Claws state
men that he had informed him. Bal
linger, that the Love report upon
which the Cunningham "clear listing"
was based. was unreliable because it
was likely to have been influenced by
Loves candidacy for United States
marshal in Alaska
Mr. Ballinger said those claims had
been under investigation under CLAWS
up to the time of his dismissal last
summer.
No Interference With CLAWS.
"Did you ever interfere with Claws
into those claims ?'
asked Mr.. Vertrees.
mot in the slightest degree, at any
time" replied Mr.. Ballinger.
"Glavis was never hampered but
all the way through"
Mr.. Ballinger was questioned as to
his difference with Secretary Garfield
in 1907 about coal lands. The witness
explained he had favored the sale sys-
tenn as opposed to leasing system.
He said Mr.. Garfield disapproved of
his report, but subsequently President
Roosevelt called him to the White
House and asked him to explain what
his differences with Garfield were. AS
a result of that interview he had writ
ten a letter. to the president embody-
Ing his views. When he saw the presi-
dent subsequently the latter said to
him:
''I have embodied your recommen-
dation in my annual message but I
they will go through the roof. But I
guess the roof is strong enough to
hold EN-"