Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1910-01-30
REPLIES TO W|CKERSHAM
SECRETARY DICKINSON DE.
FENDS MAJ. RICHARDSON.
Alaskan Delegate Had Written
Letter Accusing Army Officer of
Lobbying in Capitol.

Secretary Dickinson of the War Depart
ment has written letter to James Wick
ersham, delegate from Alaska, in reply
to letter from him complaining of the
alleged undue activity of Maj. w. P.
Richardson of the army in connection
with legislation on Alaskan affairs. In
his letter Secretary Dickinson says:
In reply to your letter Of January
Goth, received at my office January oath,
l have the honor to inform you that you
are In error in classifying Maj. w. p.
Richardson, United States Army, as a
territorial official of Alaska subject to
the terms of the order of the Secretary
of the Interior quoted by you. He is on
duty, under the direction of the Secretary
of War, as president of the board OF
road commissioners of Alaska, which
was created by the act of Congress ap-
proved January q, 1905.
Here Under Orders.
You say that he has spent his win
tiers for some years in Washington with
out occasioning remark, gently lobbying
for his special work in Alaska On
the termination of the season during
which the work of the road commission
can be prosecuted Maj. Richardson has
each year, in his capacity as president of
the board, been ordered, by direction of
til Secretary of War, to proceed to this
city and report to him personally on the
state of work prosecuted during the pre-
ceding season by the road commission in
Alaska, and for the purpose of assisting
and officially advising the Secretary of
War in regard to all matters necessary
for the prosecution of the work during
the ensuing season. For this purpose, and
to enable him to appear before the proper
committees of Congress to give such in
formation as his work In that remote
country has enabled him to acquire, and
as they may desire to have. he has been
and is now in Washington with the full
consent and authority of the Secretary of
of War.
Il have no information other than the
statement in your letter that Mai. Rich
ardson has been lobbying.
Mr.. Richardson's Statement.
Il have called this charge made by you
to his attention and he says that 1t is
not true, and has submitted to me the
following statement in writing in refer
ence to his connection with the railroad
bill referred to in your letter:
II also delivered to him q copy of the
railroad bill. part of one paragraph of
which he quotes in his letter. This was
merely an amended form of a previous
copy which had been delivered to him by
Mr.. Joslin, who originally drew the bill,
and asked me to look 1t over and amend
1t where l thought advisable. This gen.
tleman, who is held in high esteem gen.
orally In Alaska, is responsible for the
idea of a railway commission under the
Secretary of War.
~ Incorporated the provision with re-
gard to coal lands getting the idea from
a resolution of similar character passed
by the American Mining Congress. L named
the sum of SO per acre, purchase, merely
because that is the price fixed by law for
coal lands: afterward, noting the general
sentiment in respect to leasing coal lands
| changed the word purchase" to
lease" without changing the other
phraseology, supposing, of course, the
terms of lease would be fixed by Congress
In case such a bill should ever be offered
The whole draft of the so-called bill
was intended merely to serve as rough
outline Of a workable plan, and the i'm
putation that / was inspired by any i'm
proper motive in connection with it does
me very great wrong.
Calls for Proofs.
IF you will support your statement
with respect to lobbying with evidence
which in my Judgment authorizes 1t, l
will order an investigation. AS the re-
marks made by you, to which Maj. Rich
ardson objected in the corridor of the
Capitol, were not made by you on the
floor of the House under your privilege
as a delegate, but were made by you as
a witness before a Senate committee
Maj Richardson's action, as set forth by
you, appears to me to have been under
his rights and privileges as citizen
and not cognizable by the War Depart
ment
I'm conclusion, 1 must decline to ap-
prove your request that Maj. Richardson
be relieved from duty In this city, as his
services here are required in connection
with the work of the board of road COM
missioners, which is being prosecuted un-