Evening times-Republican. [volume] (Marshalltown, Iowa) 1890-1923, 1911-07-13
(The Outlook).

The Cunningham claims. which were
the Immediate cause of the Pinchot
Bailinger controversy. have been dis
allowed. Commissioner bennett, OF the
land office. who was a strong support
er OF Secretary Ballinger. has now
rendered a decision reversing the whole
policy and attitude of Secretary Bal
linger regarding these claims, and Mr..
Fisher successor to Mr.. Ballinger as
secretary of the interior. has made it
clear by a public statement that this
decision is final as far as the depart
,nent is concerned. This means, not
only that the rich coal lands for which
these claims were filed are saved from
falling into the complete ownership Of
syndicate. but also that the great
treasure Of coal in Alaska may now be
used by the nation as It Wills for the
benefit OF the whole people.
The story Of these claims is one of
the dramatic episodes OF American
history Before the American people
were fully aware of the. great riches
they possessed in Alaska men were
prospecting in that territory for coal.
They counted on the lavish habits Of
the nation with regard to its lands in
hoping to get big shares of this treas
ure for themselves. In 1904 law was
passed which restricted the amount Of
coal lands any man could secure, and
in 1906 President Roosevelt withdrew
these Alaska coal lands from entry. for
he and his advisers saw that II the
rights OF the whole people were to be
protected, and at the same time the
coal lands developed, there was need
Of further legislation. Another law in
1903 made some modification in the
previous law In general, however. the
purpose Of the law was unchanged
to prevent few capitalists from US
ing number Of men, under the guise
OF independent claimants as agents in
securing virtual monopoly in. Alaska
coal.
Among those who had filed claims
were some thirty men known as the
Cunningham claimants. They used
their great influence with Mr. Balling-
err, first as commissioner Of the land
office. then as private attorney. and
finally as secretary Of the interior. to
get these. claims approved. Mr.. Louis
r. CLAWS. one OF the subordinate Off
Gals of the land office, found reasons
to believe that these claims were IL
legal, and warned one Of his superiOrs.
In spite Of that fact, Mr.. Ballinger or
dered these claims "clearlisted" for
patent Then Mr.. CLAWS began a
struggle to prevent the patenting Of
these claims. He first secured the sus-
pension OF the order for clear listing"
and he continued, against great odds,
until (after Mr.. Ballinger, who in the
meantime had acted as attorney for
these very claimants. became secretary
OF the interior) he decided to appeal to
Mr. Ballinger himself. Having failed
in that, he took the advice of Mr..
Pinchot Cthen United States forester)
and appealed over the head OF his chief
to the president. The president held
this appeal unsustained. and. for ap-
pealing on grounds declared to be in
sufficient. he summary dismissed Mr.
CLAWS as insubordinate. There was
one higher tribunal to which iMr. CLAWS
could go: he appealed to public opin-
ion; and now, after two years of con-
troversy that has wrought havoc with
the administration, Mr.. CLAWS is Of
ficially sustained.
AS reward for his activities on be-
half of the public interest against the
power OF wealthy men and public Of
ficials. Mr.. CLAWS not only suffered the
loss Of his position in the federal ser
vice, but also. because OF the humilia-
ton to which he was subjected by the
] presidents rebulee, became the object
of sneering cor1'rarJ so for p. he