South Bend news-times. (South Bend, Ind.) 1913-1938, 1913-09-25
GE ETS CLAD HAND
FOR STIRRING Up
OIL LAND CRABS
BY gibson GARDNER.

WASHINGTON. Sept. 25.-Repre-
sentative Thompson o. Illinois. the
man who stirred up the Southern
Pacitic-CalifOrnia oil land grab with
his resolution a day or SO ago, is re-
ceiVing kilograms and letters from all
parts OF the country comm eding his
action. Some of them throw cOnsid
erable additional light on this de-
layed government suit. \ wire from
ID. j. Hinkley of Los Angeles, Califor-
MIA, adds a new feature to the case.
Hinkley is one of the prominent at
tOrneys for a group of mineral claim
ants who filed on the land which is
being Illegally held by the Southern
Pacific. These claimants. on the ad
vice of Hinkley refused to join with
the Burke group of claimants in their
suit The Burke suit, in which. by
direction of Assistant AttOrney-Gen-
eral Knaebel. the government Joined,
took the weakest possible legal pO-
sition. cOntending that patent had
passed TO the Southern Pacific, instead
of cOntending that the excluding
clause prevented the passage of title.
Hinkley is cooperating with Butler.
the man who dug up the case orig
inallY refused to aid in prejudicing
the governments case by joining in
the Burke suit. Here is what he has
10 say about it. in a wire just re-
celNed by ReD. thompson.
Hon. Charles VI. Thompson. House
of Representatives Washington, ID.
C-Townsend's statement in press
that Southern Pacific is accounting to
government for oil taken from Cali
fornia lands absolutely false. Assist
ant Attorney General Knaebel is now
seeking to get TO supreme court by
backdOor methods. Admissions in
Burke case favor railroad company
foir f.la Inn
government. About fifty Southern
Pacific drilling rigs running cOntinu-
Ously on lands from which II taxes
millions in oil. Governments four
years delay absolutely ineXcusable
and greatly advanta geOuS to railroad
company. Butler only man in depart
ment of justice who did effective work.
dismissed Nav 31st last at KnaebePs
request without cause or hearing when
railroad learned he was preparing TO
apply for injunction and receiver and
was ready to institute additional suits
to protect governments interests and
a bsolutelv nothing done by depart
ment Of Justice since. Evidence eX-
lists that department officers seek to
establish title in railroad. The whole
affair is crooked and should be
thoroughly investigated by congress
Immediately. 1t is rotten.
(Signed) y. J. Hinkley.
Mr.. Thompson IS investigating Ine
record of Assistant Acknowledgement
knaebel. who is a Guggenheim ap-
pointee held over from the Taft ad-
ministration. with a view to taking
further action in the case.
Representative Crosser Of Ohio IS
busy doing missionary work on mem
bers Of the house committee on the
District OF COlum bia. trying 10 Sc
cure action on his resolution calling
FOR municipal ownership Of street rail-
ways in Washington. CrOsser is try
ing TO secure a hearing on his bill, and
Representative Ben Johnson. chair
man Of the committee. is inclined TO
grant such a hearing Mr.. CrOsser
a lso wants the committee 10 employ
the services Of an expert in street rail-
way valuation 10 check up on the wa
tered capitalization Of the local street
railway companies with a view 10 put
ting the real facts in the hands Of
the committee.
The office Of representative J. W.
Bryan OF Washington looks like the
sorting room OF big post Office His
mail is loaded with hundreds OF re-
quests for his recent speech on the