Atlanta semi-weekly journal. (Atlanta, Ga.) 1898-1920, 1911-03-28

1000 men. Our navy counts up 1900
men. and the appropriations are hurried
through congress like a house afire, they
are in such hurry to fling out the
money.
THE country is the victim of political
inefficiency." Perhaps there will be no
halt called until the bottom drops QUIT
The government can never be run on
business principles until we can check
this extravaganza. IL is sinful waste
and criminal prodigalityl
The Democrats have the opportunity Of
their lives TO bring down expenses. If
they do just like the others have been
doing there will not only be no change,
but the country will be worse disguised.
The amount that can be leased to one
person or corporation is 1850 acres. The
disposition of this valuable property
is to be placed in the hands of-the sec
rotary of the itnerior, when right in
this house today there is a report sign
ed by three members of this house out
of six who represented this body in the
investigation of the itnerior department,
finding that Secretary Balinger is an I'M
faithful public official, and that the in
.terests of the people of the United States
are not safe in his hands. (Applause.)
And yet we are called upon, with this re-
port Enacted upon, and you gentlemen
upon the other side will not dare to al
low il to come UP to be acted upon
because your know If it is permitted to
come up for consideration the findings
made by this committee will be adopted,
and vet we are told taht this property
Of unreasonable value should be turned
into the hands of an official who today is
under a solemn finding of three members
Of this house to this effect. This report
holds that Secretary Ballingers acts in
connection with these very coal fields of
Alaska weer unfaithful to the people
of the United States, finding that he was
an attorney for the Cunningham claim
ants, who with the Morgan-Guggenhe
syndicate Undertook to exploit and own
Alaska, holding that he had patented
lands without authority of law to the
Cunningham claimants, who had sold
and optioned their land in advance to the
Morgan Guggenheim syndicate. This bill
lodges in this secretary of the itnerior's
hands the right to say to whom he
will give prospecting rights. the right to
say to whom he will give the privilege of
going into Alaska and prospecting for
coal, virtually turning over to him the
whole OF the peoples property in alaska.
Mark my words, Mr.. Speaker, if this
bin becomes law, Alaska is gone. Cloud
applauce) These valuable resources of
the people OF the United States will
be gobbled up, and il will be but short
while until the richest coal fields in all
the world will be owned by a few men
who happen TO be favorites of the secre-
tary of the interior. Cloud applause.)
This is not our property to give away;
it is the peoples property, and if it is
TO be leased, let us take the time to
consider well, to investigate thoroughly,
to examine carefully every sentence in
the bill that undertakes that task. Let
us not in the alst days of an expiring
session, under suspension of the rules
and with most limited debate, take such
action that will subject us to severest,
yet most merited, criticism for dealing
out public property TO those who would
exploit and grow great fortunes out of
it. cloud applause)