Evening times-Republican. [volume] (Marshalltown, Iowa) 1890-1923, 1911-07-27
P|N|;H01 REPLIES
70 TAFT MESSAGE
LEAVES ROOT OF MATTER
WHOLLY UNTOUCHED.
RUSH ENTRY ORDER OPENS
WAY TO RYAN INTERESTS
Had order Opening Controller Bay
Lands Eeen Wholly Secret tho Ef.
feet Would Have Been No Different,
Declares Pinehot-Must Fight Po-
lice Before Getting Chance at Looter.

Declares Pinehot-Must Fight Po.
lice Before Getting Chance at Looter.
Washington. July 27-Gifford Pin
chot, former government chief fores-
ter and now president of the National
conservation Association. today issued
statement declaring that President
Taft leaves the root of the matter
wholly untouched" in his message to
the senate denying that there could be
any monopolization Of the water front
Of Controller Bay. Alaska. Mr.. Pinchot
opened his statement with this charge:
'The presidents defense of his
course in the Controller Bay affair
shows how hard it is to make a good
excuse for bad mistake"
Concluding Mr.. Pinchot says:
1t is unfortunate that the friends Of
conservation, in their efforts to bring
about the development Of Alaska for
the benefit Of the people. are contin-
ually obliged to expend their strength
against the men who ought to be the
protectors of the peoples property. 1t
looks to me like unnecessary duplica-
tion Of work when we must first fight
the policemen before we can get a
chance to stop the looting."
Root Of Trouble Untouched.
Mr.. Pinchots statement follows:
"The presidents defense of his
course in the Controller Bay affair
leaves the root Of the matter wholly
untouched. In spite of all explanation
\ 1af f.aof In no 70 IN,
ing the lands around Controller Bay
without notice to the public has given
the interests behind Ryan an oppor-
tunity to acquire the key to the chan
mel of Controller Bay before the pub
lie knew what was going on. The, map
which is part of the presidents mes
sage, supported as 1t is by the testi-
mony of Mr.. Graves. Of the coast and
geodetic survey, before the congress
ional committee now investigating this
question. appears to show that the
mile and a half Of l,arbor front takcn
up by Ryan together with tfe tracts
which the government retains and on
which it prohibits private entries. does
effectuallv control the valuable por-
tions Of the channel.
"But whether the president Is right
or whether the man is right. and who
shown to represent. it is true and re-
mains true that the lands about Con-
troller Ray should never have been let
60 The public will agree with Col
onel Roosevelt that these terminal
lands ought to have been kept In the
puh1ic's hands.
Public Warned Of Propoeed Grab.
"The so-called Ballirger-Pinchot in
vestigation opened the eyes of the pub
lie to the extensive and successful
efforts which are being made to mon
opolize the resources of Alaska The
fact developed by this Investigation
constituted a solemn warning and call
upon the executive for special watch
fulness in protecting public property
in Alaska In view of the need for
firm and careful policy thus emphasized
1t was the presidents 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 mean
time. contrary to the general impress
sion, the fact that these lands were
in "A national forest made them fully
and promptly available under leave for
every proper use. yet held them subject
to government supervision and con-
troll.
Private Interests Cause Danger.
The president is right when he says
that what Alaska needs is development
but no legitimate developm ent OF the
harbor front in Controller Bay has been
and can be proposed that could not
proceed as well and as rapidly under
suitable leave on government land as
on private land So long as these ter
ninal lands remained in government
ownership no one could monopolize the
harbor. The moment any Of them passed
into private hands the danger of mon
opoly began. The fact remains and
the public will not forget that before
the executive order Of October 2s, Con-
troller Bay was both available for de-
velopment and safe against monopoly.
Now it is no longer safe. This is
abundantly proved not only by the gen.
eral history Of commercial conSOlida-
ton but in particular by what the
Morgan Guggenheim syndicate has al
ready done in destroying or absorbing
possible competitors.
Rush Order Prevents Entry.
".T'he president denies that in grant
ing Ryan's request for the opening Of
Controller Bay by the executive order
OF October % there was any element of
secrecy and quotes press dispatch Of
the same date announcing his action.
But Mr.. Taft does not mention that on
the day he signed the order and noti-
fed the press in Washington Ryan's
surveying party was already In Alaska
and that by Nov. /. or four days after
the order was made. and before the
government officials in Alaska had
been notified Of the order. they had be-
gun a survey of the Ryan claims on
Controller Bay.
"The omission Of the customary
thirty days notice to the public that
the land would be open for entry gave
Ryan what he wanted 1t cut or all
chance for any competitor to locate on
the terminal lands until after Ryan