Norwich bulletin., 1911-07-27
His Elimination Order in Response to Resolution of Senate FRANK DISCUSSION OF THE DICK TO DICK LETTER
No of
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 the coal fields.
 Captain Pillsbury of the army en- gineers in report in the record made i'll 1907 mentions three possible objec- tions to Controller bay-frst. that the surrounding islands may prove to be so low as not fully to protect the channel; second. that the flats extend two or three miles from the shore. and, third. that ice formed in the rivers entering the bay and. affected by tidal currents, may destroy structures put upon the over them.
 Ryan Asks For Land.
 Tn December, 1909, Richard s. Ryan. representing the Controller Railway and Navigation company, applied to Mr. Pinchot. the then forester, for an elimination from the Chugach forest reservation of a tracttof land to enable his company to secure railroad ter mnals. bunkers. railroad shops, etc. Dn the northwest shore of Controller bay. This application was referred by the associate forester to the district forester Ut Portland. Ore, and by him to the forester in Alaska. The result of these references and the applicat ton was that early in 1910 MT. Graves. who had in the meantime become for ester. reported that there was no ob- jection from the standpoint of forestry interests to the elimination of the tract indicated or. indeed. of 1SOOO acres on the northwest shore of Controller bay.
 The attention of the navy depart ment was invited by the forestry bu- reau to the proposal to open the shore of Controller bay to entry and occupa- ton. and inquiry was made whether the navy department desired to use Controller bay as a reservation and whether it objected to it's being opened up. The answer was in the negative.
 The matter was considered by the forestry bureau. by the secretary of agriculture, by the secretary of the in- terior and by the general land office. and the result was a recommendation to me in May, 1910, that an elimina- ton be made of 320 acres with front age of 160 rods on the northwest shore of Controller bay.
 I considered the whole case in Au- gust, 1910. and directed that the 320 acres, recommended by both depart ments, be eliminated as recommended. The question finally came before the cabinet late in October. After a full discussion of the matter and after a consideration of the law l expressed dissatisfaction with the order because it purported on its face to make the elimination for the benefit of a rail- road company of tract of land which the company could not secure under the statute. for it was a tract 32O acres in one body when only 16O acres could be thus acquired. In the second place, preferred to make a much larger elimination of a tract facing the entire channel and with sufficient room for terminal railway town
 I was willing to do this because I found the restrictions in the law sufi- cient to prevent the possibility of any monopoly of either the upland or the harbor or channel by the Controller Railway and Navigation company or any other persons or company.
 1G udu UccH ouSGCotN0 Oy the forestry bureau that 1S.OO0 acres might safely be eliminated so far as forestry purposes were concerned, but fear had been expressed by one of the district foresters that such a large elimination would offer an opportunity to the company to use land scrip and acquire title to extensive town sites, tt,o oF fho iniy tion of both departments had been the reduction to 32O acres.
 Assumes All Responsibility.
 I wish to be as specific as possible upon this point and to say that l alone am responsible for the enlargement of the proposed elimination from 320 acres to 12.S0O acres and that l pro posed the change and stated my req sons therefor, and. while both secre- taries cordially concurred in it, the suggestion was mine.
 The statement of MT. Ryan. who had been properly vouched to the forester by two gentlemen whom I know, MT. Chester Lyman and MT. Fred Jen- nings. and who had produced a letter from reputable financial firm, Probst, Wetzler & Co, was that the railway company which he represented had ex- bonded more than $75,0OO in making preparations for the construction of railway from Controller bay to the coal fields. twenty-five miles away, but that they were obstructed in so doing by the order reseryirg the Chugach forest reservation, which covered all of the Controller bay shore. He, as well as Probst. Wetzler & Co., gave every assurance that the Copper River Railway company. owned by Messrs. Morgan and Guggenheim. had no con nection with them and that they were engaged in an independent enterprise in good faith to build an independent railroad No evidence to the contrary has been brought to my attention since.
 Of course 1t was possible that the owners of the Copper River Railway company might attempt to buy this railroad when and If it was built. It was possible that MT. Ryan was act ing in the interests of the Copper Riv- CT railroad although l did not believe it.
 Protected by Congress.
 If railroad was to be constructed from Controller bay to the 8ering coal