The Cairo bulletin., 1911-01-02
ASKS PRESIDENT TO CANCEL
ALASKA COAL LAND GRANTS
FORTHWITH.
CLAIMS PROVEN ILLEGAL
interests of People Demand CancelIa-
tion--A,aska Has Suffered From
Control Of Resources by
Great Monopoly.

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Taft was appealed to today by former
Forester Clifford Pinchot and his bro
Their, Amos Pinchot, to cancel imedi-
atey without further hearing the so
called Cunningham Alaskan coal
claims. In voluminous brief filed
with the president in accordance with
permission given in letter written
to them by Secretary Norton on No
yen,ber 8, Mr.. Pinchot and mis- bro
Their contend that the record in the
case "abundantly proves that the]
claims are Illegal ana that from the
beginning the claimants have con-
spired to defraud the government"
mo resort to court or rehearing
Of the case is necessary TO secure
justice and protect the peoples prop
erty," says the brief ''rhe case
against the claimants is already con-
elusive. We believe the duty of the
executive+in relation to the claims is
obvious and immediate The claims
snould be cancelled by the president
forthwith"
mo transfer Of the Cunningham
cases to a court for decision upon
the present record would relieve the
executive department Of responsible
ity for failure to have the case
against the claimants fully presented
by attorneys of ability and for omit
ting to produce all the evidence Of
fraud available" declares the brief
after charging that "in spite of the
clearness of the existing proof we
believe it to be our public duty to
point out that the whole of the case
against the claimants has not been
presented
"The evidence in the case goes
much farther than to establish the
fraud of attempting by subterfuge to
acquire from the government more
coal land than the law allows It
shows that from the beginning the
claimants acted with the definite and
sustained intention of defeating tle
primary purpose and essential spirit
VI Tue ldW--tHS SPAtb VI pun PS9S AZ
prevent monopoly, and secure com
petitiye development of the nations
resources"
Regarding the effect of monopoly
in. Alaska, the brief says:
1T is evident that an enormous
saving can be made to the people of
Alaska, to the whole northwest and
to the United States navy if only
these coal mines are opened, under
condition of competition" It charges
that "the industries of Alaska have
been for years largely in the hands
of a great and oppressive monopoly
the Guggenheim syndicate, which has
kept out other capital throttled com
petition and held Alaska at a stand
still"
The brief recltes that the case for
the government is supported by five
main lines of evidence, cited as fol-
lows:
'First-The history OF the opera
tlons of the Cunningham entrymen in
Alaska, as derived from their own
records and statements, shows that
from beginning TO the end they wera
all members OF a single association
engaged in acquiring joint property
and that the claimants never owned
these claims separately
"Second--The book Of accounts Of
the Cunningham group and the re-
ports made by its agents are all evil
IDENTIFY based on the assumption that
all the claims are one property owned
by the association.
"Third--From first to last the sub
scribers took no interest whatever in
the situation or value of the particu-
lar claims entered in their respective
names.
"Fourth-Within the shortest prac'
ticable time after final certificates
we're issued, the Cunningham asso'
ciates took steps to turn over their
claims to a corporation on basis Of
equal phares.
"Fifih--More than one half the
caimsnts have admitted In affidavits
that they had always acted with a
mutual understanding that they would
combine their claims after titles were
secured and one so confessed at the
bearings"
Discussing the charge that impol-
ant evidence against the claimants
was suppressed by land office agents
the brief says
"John w. Dudley, register of the
land Office at juneau. Alaska, one OF
these agents, went so far as to adj
wise Cunningham specifically how
one of the claimants, who had tod the
trnth In his affidavit, should chlnec
his statement SO as to strike out evil
dence OF fraud and avoid investiga-
ton which will at least involve ar
\ inlerminable delay"