The times dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1903-1914, 1911-07-28
TAFT'S MESSAGE
FAILS TO SATISFY
Pinchot Declares Root of Con-
troller Bay Affair Not
Touched.
EXCUSE FOR BAD MISTAKE
Claims That Alaskan Lands
Should Have Been Held
by Government.

Washington, July 2L-In reference
to the Presidents message on the
Controller Bay situation, Clifford Pin
chot to-day issued the following state
ment:
The Presidents defense OF his
course-in. the Controller Bay affair
shows how hard it is to make a good
excuse for bad mistake
1t leaves the root of the matter
wholly untouched. In spite of all ex-
plantations. the fact remains that Mr..
Taft. in opening the lands around Con-
troller Bay without notice to the pub
lie. has given the interests behind
Ryan an opportunity to acquire the
Key TO the channel of Controller Bay
before the public knew what was
going on. The map, which is part
Of the Presidents message, supported
as it is by the testimony of Mr..
Graves of the Coast and Geodetic
Survey before the congressional com
mittee now investigating this question,
appears TO show that the mile and a
half of haroor front taken up by
Ryan, together with the tracts which
the government retains and on which
1t prohibits private entry. does eff
fectually control the valuable portion
of the channel.
Lands Should Have Been Held.
But whether the President is right
or whether the map is right and who
ever Ryan and bis associates will be
shown to represent. 1T is true. and will
remain true. that the lands about
Controller Bay should never have been
let go. The public will agree with
Colonel Roosevelt that these terminal
lands ought to have been kept in the
public hands.
The so-called Ballinger-Pinchot in
vestigation opened the eyes of the
public to the extensive and successful
efforts which are being made to mo-
nopolize the resources of Alaska. The
facts developed by this investigate
constituted n solemn warning and a
call upon the executive for special
watchfulness in protecting public
property in Alaska. In view OF the
need for firm and careful policy thus
empha sized. 1t was the Presidents duty
to hold the terminal lands around Con-
troller 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 a national forest
made them fully and pronAEtly avail
able under lease for every proper use,
yet held them subject TO governmental
supervision and control.
Development of Alaska.
The President is right when he
SAYS that what Alaska needs is de-
velopment, but no legitimate develop
ment OF the harbor front on Controller
Bay has been and can be proposed
that could not proceed as we'll and as
rapidly under suitable lease on gov
ernment land as on private land. So
lonS as these terminal lands remained
in government ownership no one could
monopolige the harbor. The moment
any of them passed into private hands
the danger OF monopoly began. The
fact remains, and the public will not
forget. that before the executive order
of October IS Controller Bay was both
available for development and safe
against monopoly. Now II is no longer
safe. This is abundantiy proved. not
only by the general history OF COM
mercial consolidation. but in particular
by what the Morgan Guggenheim syn
dictate has already done in destroying
or absorbing possible competitors.
Element of Secrecy.
Tho President denies that in grant
ing Ryan's request for tho opening of
Controller Bay by the executive order
OF October 2S there was any element
of secrecy. and quotes press dis
patch OF the same date announcing his
action. But Mr.. Taft docs not men
tion that on the day he signed the
order and notified the press in Wash
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