New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1911-06-27

SO an acre was paid upon each of the
Cunningham entries the total payment
amounting to approximately $500 During
1907 reports were made on these claims by
Special Agents Jones and Love.
Controversy has since arisen as TO
whether or not these reports could he re-
garded as favorable. Special Agent Love
testified under oath that he regarded his
report as favorable. Special Agent Jones
swore that he regarded his report as un-
favorable. In any event. further invest-
CATION was ordered. Mr.. Love had been
the first special agent to call TO the atten-
ton OF the General Land Office the advisa-
bility of making a special investigation
L. r. CLAWS. special agent at Portland.
ore, was ordered To Seattle in November.
1897, TO take up certain phases of the in
vestigation, and on December - 1871
CLAWS was ordered by Judge r. A. Bal
lirger, who had become Commissioner Oh
the General Land Office. to take full charge
of the investigation. In December. 1885,
some Of the claimants appeared before
Commissioner Ballinger TO urge the clear
listing (appToyaD of their claims.
Judge Ballinser sent for II. n. SCHWARTZ
chief Of the field service, requesting nm 10
bring the papers in the Cunningham case.
According to the sworn testimony OF
Schwartz. he brought the records and the
report of Love. He told Commissioner
Ballinger that he regarded the Love report
as sufficient TO warrant clear listing the
| claims Judge Ballinger accordingly or
dered them clear listed but with the IN
| junction that CLAWS he notified. CLAWS
was Informed. and replied that i'm his opin-
ion the claims should not be clear listed.
Course of Commissioner Balllnger.
Commissioner Ballnger. Immediately on
race,ot of the CLAWS telegram. counter
randed the clear listing order. and no
similar order has since been issued. On
March 4. 1899. Mr.. Taft was inaugurated as
President. and the following day Judge
Ballinger became Secretary OF the Interior.
A wear before he had resigned from the
oovernment and returned to Seattle. When
| he came to look over the analrS OF the
General Land ONCE he found the Cunning
ham claims still pending. with CLAWS still
! IN charge. Then efforts were made by
| Fred bennett. who had succeeded Judge
BaIinger as Commissioner of the Gen
eral Land ONCE. 10 induce @aVis ana
schwartz to expedite their work. These
sis,ently procrastinated until, on July Il.
,ooa lanes NJ. Sheridan. an attorney CON
,acted with the land Office in Denver. was
| instructed TO proceed 10 Seattle ana 'aAe
charge of the Cunningham investigation.
Referring TO Glavis's procrasunauon' inc
Attorney General said, in his exhaustive
,eview of the case, that If 1t had peei
| rroeocuted with due diligence. ana II
claws had properly availed OF the assist
arca given by the General Land once the
| Investigation should have been completed
and ready for trial not later than the au-
,umn Of 1905" Nor is there anything TO
t,dicate that had the Investigation beeh
CONNECTED then and the trial. or final hear
,,, held. the decision would have been any
di0erent from that now rendered.
ctavis's indignation at being superseded;
s.anpeal TO clifford Pinchot. then Chict
,,o,eetcr: his charges filed with the Presi-
dent. his dismissal for INSTRUMENTATION; the
! ,roes propaganda conducted by Pinchot
n,hich resulted In his dismissal from the
oo,arnment service, and the protracted IN
,.o.,toation which followed are too recent
"a In so far as the Cunningham claims
g. concerned, too immaterial TO require
any review here.
m. decision of Commissioner bennett Is
q, fuu accord with his entire conduct oil
ma case and the cancellation Of the claims
an fine grounds cited by him was forecast
~. the Attorney General when he COM
,I,ted his review of the case, in September,
roo, and i'm which he made clear the aninus
~ CLAWS by quoting letter the latter
uro,e 10 his superior, schwartz, In "hich
ha rredicted that bennett could not last
,ono'' and suggested that Schwartz Try
Cor his place" ii being the obvious purpose
of CLAWS TO TRY for" Schwartz place.
The Guggenheim interests declined yes
,ordav to make any comment upon the de-
ctsion of the Commissioner OF the General
Land once cancelling the Cunningham
coal claims in Alaska.
Daniel Guggcnheim, who viii sail for
Euroue to-day on the Kronpiinzessen &C.
ellie. i'm the course of an interview on the
general br siness outlook. yesterday said Of
the situation III Alaska:
The story of the tie-up Of Alaska for
which some one ~ responsible Ii very
sad one. We have an empire at our doors
capable II adding To the wealth OF the
United States $2O).J00GD To $300.Do0"0 an
nually. with gold production equal TO the
best days of California. all dependent upon