The Barre daily times. (Barre, Vt.) 1897-1959, 1911-01-02
To Cancel S25,OOO,OOO Cum
lingham Claims in Alaska
A STATEMENT PRESENTED
Morgan Guggenheim Syndicate Has an
Option on These Claims, Say Pin
chot Brothers-Taft Can't
Shift Responsibility.

Washington. d c., Jan. . What
President Taft viii do with the Guggen-
heim monopoly in Alaska is the question
brought up by the brief which Clifford
pnchot and his brother, Amos, filed with
he president to-day The Pinchots have
put it up TO the president to cancel
Immediately the Cunningham coal claims
D. Alaska, valued at twenty-five millions
pf dollars. The Morgan -Guggenheim
indicate has an option on these claims
And the contention Of the brief is that
the president allows them to 90 to
patent the advantage from their deyel
opment will 60 straight into the pockets
pf the Morgan Guggenheims.
The Pincbots in their brief express the
fear that the president may avoid re-
i sponsibility by turning the Cunningham
claims over to a court "No transfer OF
he Cunningham claims to court for
decision upon the records they declare,
k'would relieve the executive department
pf responsibility"
The Pinchots declare "that the duty
Of the executive with regard TO the Gun
bingham claims is obvious and immedi-
kte," that in their Judgment the record
abundsntly proves that the claims are
Illegal and that the claimants have con-
pired to defraud the government No
resort to a court or hearing in the case
rs necessary to secure justice and protect
the peoples property. The case against
the claims is already conclusive The
claims should be Cancelled by the presi
dent forthwith
Whether Congress. or Secretary Bal
linger. will take action to break up the
monopoly which the Pinchots declare Is
holding Alaska at a standstill is another
Question which the brief brings up The
Pinehots say that the prompt develop
nent OF the Alaskan coal fields is Of
great Importance, but that to-day de-
iective coal land laws make Alaska a
forbidden land to the coal operators
They say that late census fugres show
that in the last ten years the population
ef Alaska has increased only one and
sve-tenths per cent They attribute this
TO the fact that for years the industries
pf Alaska "have been largely in the
bands of great and oppressive monopoly.
The Guggenhem syndicate. which has
Kept out other capital, throttled compe-
lition and held Alaska at a standstill, in
,pte OF its vast wealth in minerals, wa.
Ter powers and fisheries
They say that capital should be en-
souraged to develop the Alaska coal
selds for the benefit of the people, bat
this result can only be accomplished
.~py the passage in Congress of reasonable
Ind practical laws for the disposal oil the
oal fields in the interest Of the people
Until this is done the Pinchots declare,
j Ehe present law should be enforced and
] lhe peoples property protected. They
say it was to prevent Just such monop-
ply as the Cunningham claimants are
ieeking that the existing coal land law
Fas made. They declare that the Cum
bingham claimants have violated this
Pw by a fraudulent conspiracy to ac.
luire more public coal lands than law
illows. They quote records to show that
he Cunningham claimants never intend
ID to operate their claims Individually
Ehat the claimants never took any in
Ierest in their individual claims, which
lhe Cunninghams are trying TO secure
bom the government still hold good
The brief declares that although the
birmingham case involves one Of the
hehest coal deposits on the North Amer
can continent, worth many millions of
dollars, the responsibility of saving
hese lands to the people was placed
py the government authorities III the
lands of young lawyer. who had been
translator of Spanish in one of the
government departments at $1,000 a
fear, and had been graduated only thir-
een months, had never tried a case in
ourt and whose actual practical law
Experience was limited to forty-one days
The Pinchots say that the people are
Untitled to a full and able presentation
" their case and declare that no trans
er Of the Cunningham cases to court
Fould relieve the executive department
II responsibility to have the case fully
presented by attorneys of experience
ind responsibility.