The Calumet news. [volume] (Calumet, Mich.) 1907-1938, 1911-07-27
TAFT THROWS NEW LIGHT
ON CONTROLLER BAY AFFAIR

ON NON MULLEN CHf ~ Tam
Yesterday afternoon President Tai
sent a special message 10 the Senate
shouldering fun responsibility for op.
) jening for settlement and development
n. 500 acres Of the Chugach Nation1
Forest Reserve in Alaska-an incident
(which has become known as the Con
troller Bay affair" Mr. TAFT show.
Iplainly that the interests Of the people
lare fully protected in Alaska, and thai
there is no danger Of any private in
lterests getting a monopoly there. Tn,
president brands the now famous
l"Dick 60 Dick" postscript az "A wicked
fabrication" and says that Charles =,
Taft. whose name appeared in the al
legged postscript, has no interest in
| Alaska. never had and knows nothing
Of the circumstances connected with
this transaction" Moreover. the pres
ldent adds. his brother does not even
remember that he ever met Richard
! s. Ryan. representing the Controller
Railway & Navigation company.
As for eliminating the land IN ques-
ton from the reserve, the president
/ says that there is no danger of the
Controller Railway & Navigation com
pany or any other interests monopoliz-
ing the field. and nothing TO show that
this company is in any way connected
with the Morgan Guggenheim inter-
ests. Hence he believes that in elm
mating the land he has acted for the
best Interests Of the nation
Il wish 10 be- as specific as possible
upon this point" says the president in
his message and 10 say that / alone
am responsible FOR the enlargement Of
the proposed elimination from 800 To
1880 acres, and that / proposed the
change and stated my reasons therefor.
The thing which the territory Of Alas
ka needs is development. and where
rights ana franchises can be properly
granted 10 encourage Investment and
construct q railroad without conferr-
ing exclusive privileges. believe Il
10 be IN accordance with good policy
10 grant them -
Mr.. Taft relates how Ran repre-
senting the Controller Railway and
Navigation company. applied in 1909
for the elimination OF a tract 10 ena-
bile this company 10 secure railroad
terminals, etc. The application was
referred 20 the Forestry Bureau and |
then 10 the Navy Department with a |
view that perhaps the Navy desired |
10 use Controller Bay as a reservation |
The forestry interests found no OBJ |
lection to the elimination Of the tract
indicated. cor indeed" ms the president |
writes. 'to the elimination OF $4,000 |
acres In the northwest shore Of Con-
troller Bay"
The Navy Departments answer was |
negative says the president, and az
ter the matter had been considered by
the Secretary Of Agriculture. by the
Secretary Of Interior, and the General |
land ONCE, a recommendation was
made to him that 800 acres with n
frontage OF 100 rods on the northwest
shore Of Controller Bay be- thrown op-
'n. A formal order TO this effect was
finally submitted to him in October.
1910, but when the matter came before
.he cabinet late i'm that month he found
objection to II. His reasons for TAX
ing this stand he explains In his mes
sage In part as follows:
II expressed dissatisfaction with the
rider because IL purported on it's face
% make the elimination for the ben
INT Of railroad company Of a tract Of
and which the company could not by
awful entry secure, for IL was a tract
'2O acres In one body when only 100
lcres could thus be acquired. In the
second place, ! preferred to make
much larger elimination Of tract fac
ng the entire channel. and with suffi-
'ient room for "A terminal railway
own ! was willing to do this because
found the restrictions in the law
to prevent the possibility Of
my monopoly Of either the upland or
he harbor or channel by the Controller
Railway and Navigation company or
my other persons or company
u am AZ strongly convinced as any
me Of the necessity for the conserva-
ion Of our national resources" says |
he president. "and as much opposed |
IS any one To their monopolization by |
arge corporations. but my convictions |
IN this point did not deter me from |
taking the step which I hoped might |