The Catholic bulletin. [volume] (St. Paul, Minn.) 1911-1995, 1911-07-08

Announcement was made at the In
terror Department June 26th that the
famous Cunningham coal claims in
Alaska had been held for cancella-
tion.' That means that the officials
of the General Land Office have found
against the claimants on the charges
that the entries were made in viola
ton of the coal land laws and that
the entrymen lose the claims and
what has been spent on them There
are thirty-three claims to $3.50 acres
! covering deposits of some of the fin
est coal in the world. Their value is
estimated as running into millions Of
dollars. Fred bennett, Commissioner
of the General Land Office, who makes
the decision, finds against the claim
ants at every point, and Secretary
Fisher, the only man to whom appeal
on the facts lies, writes a note saying
that he concurs in the decision, show
ing that appeal is useless. The matter
may be taken to the courts, but upon
points of law.
This is about the end of the most
spectacular controversy of the Taft
administration. It was on these Cum
bingham coal claims that the Bal
linger-Pinchot controversy arose,
which resulted in the loss of his place
in the Cabinet by Secretary Ballinger,
the dismissal of Clifford Pinchot from
the post of Chief of the Bureau of
Forestry, and the dismissal of resigna-
ton of several other government Off
Gals of more or less high rank
Restriction of competition is de-
c1ared to have been the main object
of the organizers of the United States
steel corporation, which, capitalized
at $1,402,O00, 900, had property worth
only 6S2,0O0,0OO.
The corporation, having concentrat-
ed it's efforts to obtain ore properties,
now owns Is per cent of the lake
ores, upon which the present steel in
dustry is based.
Chippewa and Sioux Indians, now
on the most friendly terms, engaged
in sham battle at the Red Lake
agency July 4, enacting again in mimic
one of the deadly conflicts which ragged
between the Sioux and the Chippewas
many years ago.
, The celebration at the agency
opened with a dog feast at sunrise
The reds, both Sioux visitors and resi-
dent Chippewas, then entered with
friendly rivalry into the canoe and
swimming races, contests at shooting
arrows from bows, and a lacrosse
game, in which the Indians use sticks
of their own manufacture.
Last year $4,000 men were brought
from Ontario to Quebec, and the mari.
time provinces to the west, and the
number was sufficient to handle the
comparatively small harvest in the
Canadian Northwest.
This year, 100000 acres of idle
land have been sown to wheat and
promises an average of twenty bushels
to the acre. This is going to add
40,000,000 bushels to the harvest
With this increased acreage, together
with the highest yield an acre in sew
eral years it will take 10000 men to
harvest this 200,OOO,0OO bushel crop
that seems to be in sight this year.
The increased wheat area in Sas
katcheWan alone represents in round
numbers 100000 acres and the start
ling and interesting feature about this
is that the infinitely greater proper
ton is in the northeastern, north
western and west central portions oil
the province. In addition, the prov
ince of Saskatchewan will show an
increase in oats of about 100000 acres
The eastern part of the province
shows slight decrease in wheat acre
age, but very large increase in oats
and fax.
Inquiries in financial quarters con
firm the rumor that the Paris Bourse
Committee has decided to supend the
listing of American stocks for the
time being.
Brokers in general are scared al
the American telephone and telegraph
incident. They are beginning to real
ize that there are some faults in the
machinery necessary for opening the
French market to American stocks
chief among them being the fisca
| question. The exaction of a specia
{ certificate for the French market
causes French holders to receive
smaller dividends than English and
American holders, the difference be
} ing absorbed by the French govern
ment
, There is no question that the recent
) affairs has thrown discredit on Ameri
can securities in general, so much sc
that even the big banks that were
, negotiating isues of American bonds
here have now decided to suspend the
| operations till the autumn, as it is
) found hard at present to make the
French public understand the differ
, ence between stocks and bonds.