The Bennington evening banner. (Bennington, Vt.) 19??-1961, 1911-07-29
SAYS PRESIDENT popeEs
Pinehot Claims Controller Bay Has
Been Given to Interests

chOt, former chief forester has issued
statement declaring that President
TAFT in his message to the Senate de-
nying that there could be any mono
polization of the water front of Con
troller Bay, Alaska. leaves the root
Of the matter wholly untouched" and
that the Presidents defense OF his
course shows how hard it is to make
a good excuse for a bad mistake"
Continuing, Mr. Pinchot says:
in spite of all explanations the
fact remains that Mr. Taft, in open,
ing the lands around Controller Bay
without notice to the public, has Civ
en- the interests behind Ryan an OPP
portunity to acquire the key to the
channel of Controller Bay before the
public knew what was going on. The
map, which is a part of the presi-
dents message, supported as il is by
the testimony Of Mr.. Graves of the
Coast and Geodetic Survey before the
congressional committee now inves-
tigating this question, appears to
show that the mile and half harbor
front taken up by Ryan, together
with the tracts which the government
retains, and on which it prohibits pri-
vate entry, does effectually control
the valuable portion of the channel.
But whether the president is right
or whether the map is right, and who
ever Ryan and his associates will be
shown to represent, it is true, and
will remain true, that the lands about
Controller Bay should never have
been let go. The public will agree
with Col Roosevelt that these termi-
nal lands ought to have been kept in
the public hands.
"The so-called Balinger-Pinchot in
vestigation opened the eyes OF the
public to the extensive and success
| full efforts which are being made to
monopolize the resources of Alaska
The facts developed by this investi-
| cation constituted a solemn warning,
and a call upon the executive for spe
cial watchfulness in protecting pub
| lie property in Alaska In view OF
the need for a firm and careful pol
icy thus emphasized it was the presi-
| dents duty to hold the terminal lands
around Controller Bay in government
ownership AS with the coal lands,
the title to the harbor lands which
are the key to the coal lands, should
have been held in any event until
congress could act. In the meantime
contrary to the general impression,
the very fact that these lands were in
national forest made them fully
| and promptly available under lease
! for every proper use, yet held them
subject to governmental supervision
and control
THE president is right when he
says that what Alaska needs is de-
yelopment but no legitimate develop
ment OF the harbor front on Control
| Ter Bay has been and can be propos-
ed that could not proceed as well
and as rapidly under suitable lease
on government land as on private
| land So long as these terminal
| lands remained in government own
ership no one could monopolize the
harbor The moment any OF them
passed into private hands the danger
of monopoly began. The fact re-
mains and the public will not forget,
that before the executive order OF
October % Controller Bay was both
available for development and safe
against monopoly Now it is no lon
ger safe This is abundantly prov
ed, not only by the general history OF
commercial consolidation but in par.
ticular by what the Morgan-Guggen-
helm syndicate has already done in
destroying or absorbing possible com
petitors
"The president denies that in grant
ing Ryans request for the opening Of
Controller Bay by the executive or
der OF October 2S there was any elem
ent of secrecy and quotes a press dis
patch of the same date announcing
his action But Mr. Taft does not
mention that on the day he signed
the order and notified the press in
Washington. Ryan's surveying party
was ready ia Alaska, and that by No
vember /, or four days after the or
der was made and before the govern
ment officials in Alaska had been no.
tilted OF the order they had begun
a survey OF the Ryan claims on Con-
troler Bay.
The omission of the customary
thirty days notice to the public that
the land would be opened to entry
gave Ryan what he wanted II cut
OH all chance for any competitor to
locate on the terminal lands until af-
ter Ryan had made his selection. No
amount OF newspaper notice to the
country after the executive order was
signed could in any respect interfere
with the prearranged work of Ryan's
agents. or enable any rival to enter a
foot OF land on Controller Bay except
what was not wanted by the people
whom Ryan represented. II was like
locking the stable after the horse
was gone Ii the order had been
wholly secret the effect could not
have been different
1T. is possible that the protests al
ready made may yet save the situa.
ton But in any case 1t is unfortun.
ate that the friends of conservation,
in their efforts to bring about the de.
yelopment OF Alaska for the benefit
of the people, are continually Obliged
to expend their strength against the
men who ought to be the protectors
Of the peoples property. II looks to
me like unnecessary duplication Of