The Salt Lake tribune. [volume] (Salt Lake City, Utah) 1890-current, 1910-04-10
FRANK PIERCE IS
WITH BALL|NGER
Utahn Interesting Witness Be-
fore Ballinger-PinchOt In
vestigatiOn Committee.
SECRETARY NEVER SOUGHT
TO INTERFERE WITH HIM
Special Agent Christensen of
Ogden Tells How He Got
Into Office.
Special to The Tribune.


WASHINGTON D, c., April o.
secretary of the interior, declared be.
fore tho Ballngcr Pinchot investiga-
tion committee today that Secretary
Balhnger never sought to interfere
with him in any way in tho conduct of
the Cunningham coal eases; that the
secretary never spoke TO him about
them after Mr. Pierce took charge of
them at Balhnger s request until they
considered CLAWS s charges together in
order to prepare the statement re.
ouested by President Taft in reply to
CLAWS.
~ am Z very positive man." said
Mr.. Pierce, and l do not like to be in
terfercd with when matter has been
turned over to me to decide. -
Mr., Pierce was on the stand about
thirty minutes. He proved an inter
esting witness. He did not conclude
his testimony and will continue when
the committee resumes next Friday.
What He Told Gov. Moore.
Mr.. Pierce said that he told eX-Gov-
Miles c. Moore of Washington, one or
the Cunningham claimants, at the first
interview, that the claims could not
be patented on the showing of the
record. Mr.. Pierce created some amusc-
mcrt when rccountiug the variety of
public business that came under the
direction Of the secretary of the lntc-
rior. he mentioned ''biTd preserves
and members OF the committee APP
pcared surprised TO learn that such
things existed.
"Whcre are these bird preserves ~
inquired Chairman Nelson.
:" In the townsite OF Nelson, Alaska,
suggested Representative Ollie James
whereupon the laugh was on MI Mel
son.
Mr.. Pierce said that President Roose,,
welt established the "bird preserves,
aa3 that one, of them was in Wyoming
for Representative Monden of that
state, WHO had protested against its
establishment as being without war
rant of law
How Christensen Broke In.
Special Agent Christensen who sue,
ceeded CLAWS in office, was on the
stand. He told the committee he was
from Ogden, Utah, and was put into
the land office through the kindly of
fees Of President Roosevelt, who
waived the civil service rules at tho
suggestion OF Land Commissioner Ben
nett in order TO appoint ,hlm. Prlor
To his appointment he had been In the
postoffice department. He later prac-
ticed land law before the interior de-
partment.
Brooks Continues Testimony.
Alfred H. Brooks, mineral expert oi
the geological su! /ey, was Oh the stanu
whom adjournment was taken yesterday
afternoon. Mr.. Brooks strongly favoTs
the opening of the Alaskan coal helds
and declares the territory is retrogress
ing as a result of the government t's pol |
lev of Withholding the coal lands.
Before going into public session the
committee opened the famous CLAWS
box from Seattle and Andrew Chrlsten
sen explained where he found the I"eH
ty-four missing letters.
Mr.. Brooks continued his testimony.
He related that the United States con
trolled from GO to 70 per cent OF the
worlds visible supply of coal and that
at the present rate of consumption IL
would require 1913 years to exhaust the
supply in the United States.
These figures were arbitrary, the WIT
ness said, Figured on basis OF inc
increased use of coal in the future, at
the same rate of increase of the last |
two or three years Mr.. Brooks said 1T
had been estimated that the supply IN
the United States would be exhausted IN |
from 100 10 $50 years. Somewhere be |
tween the estimates of $50 and 5000 |
years. he declared, the truth was to be
found.
Figures Not Estimated.
eff tine supply Will last 5000 years
we don I need TO bother about conser-
walton for 1000 or 5000 years. re- !
marked Representative Madison, ''but |
if it will only last 100 years we are up
against il"
Mr. Brooks said he thought there
had been too much alarm as to the ex-
haustion Of the coal supply. Other fac
tors of power are coming into general
use and this in time will decrease the
use of coal. Improved methods Of
consumption also are resulting in the
deceased use of coal
As general proposition the witness
said he favored the leasing of coal
lands, but he thought the Alaskan
fields were too far away for the leasing
system to be employed TO advantage.
He thought such n price should be put
on the lands in Alaska however, as to
prevent speculative holdings Of the
Hot Cross Examination.
Mr.. Brnndeis wanted to know if the
witness did not think it was perfectly
doubted ability if he had wanted TO
"conceal' the papers would have put
them in an uncovered box in the fed
eral building Christensen said he
thought CLAWS was capable OF "most
anything
''You mean anything badS" said
Brandei5, "but did you ever hear of
his doing anything foolish except to
send that letter of August IL TO Presi-
dent Taft?'
The witness could not think of any
thing. The attorney asked hundred
OF more questions dealing with the
witness s state of mind until Represen-
tative Madison suggested that he leave
that line of inquiry and go into some
thing else.
Representative Madison sought to
show by questions that the interior
department, by its instructions to
hristensen to have grand jury in
quiry, was trying to bring about the
indictment of CLAWS. of the editors Of
Golfers Weekly, of Clifford Pinchot,
O. w. Price and A. c. Shaw. The wit.
ness would not admit that this was
the whole purpose of the inquiry nor
that ii was the desire of the interior
dena tmant TIa ou,d bo ,,,,o- a.