The Washington times., 1924-03-13
j. S. MAY KEEP
WARY EYE ON
RESOURCES
New Arm of Government
Sought to Prevent Gifts
of PubIis Domain.
BY JOHN T. LAMBERT.
CosmopOlItan News Service.


A new arm of government may
be set up before Congress adjourne
to stop the public property being
given away in secret deals with
such a lavish hand.
The Teapot Dome and other dis
closures here have aroused resent
ment in Congress and a demand to
curb the arbitrary powers Of those
administrative officials who seem
possessed Of the theory that public
property is legitimate spoil for
private profit.
Secretary Fall turned over to
Mr.. Doheny and Mr.. Sinclair oil
lands that may be worth a billion
dollars. Doheny says he stands to
make 500, 100000 on the deal and
Sinclair has estimated that his profit
would be considerably more.
President Coolidge has set ma.
chinery in motion to regain 5000.
900 acres Of valuable forest land
from a single railroad. The Depart
ment Of Justice permitted the Stand
ard OIL Company to get 500, 900 900
Of oil land without a struggle and
in another instance the Southern
Pacific got land probably Of greater
value.
Fleet Being Disposed OF.
The Shipping Board is disposing
Of the greatest merchant marine
ever assembled by any nation in
the history Of the world. The rail.
roads have been paid possibly a
billion dollars since the war through
a power conferred on administrative
officers Of the Government.
In the past year. 5000, 900 Of
income taxes WIS refunded to big
taxpayers by the Treasury Depart.
ment and all that Congress knows
is the names Of those who got 1t
and the amounts they were paid.
Congress appropriated the money
but does not know, nor can 1t
learn the facts which caused the re.
funds.
The grant Of a vast territory Of
valuab'" Alaskan coal lands ~ soon
to be investigated. Delegate Dan
Sutherland. nf Alaska l. plead ng
with Congress to get to the bottom
OF his charge that the salmon fish
ing rights have been doled out up
there with extravagant hand to the
alleged fish monopoly, but with
great parsimony to the native, indie.
pendent fishermen who are without
political influence.
Congressman John M. Nelson of
Wisconsin charged in Congress that
at least $500. 900 900 of public money
was wasted by Administrative Gov.
eminent officials for benefit of air.
ship corporations.
Those are but a few examples Of
the tremendous powers for good or
evil that have been allowed to fall
to the lot of Administrative officials
who are not elected by the public,
and who "r~ only indirectly respon'
sible to them.
Harry A. Slattery. an expert on
conservation, and who caused the
investigation of the oil scandals,
says that the value of the public
domain which private interest seek
to win, covertly If possible, Is sur
passed in no other country in the
world, except possibly Russia.
Lands Given Railroads.
United States Senator Shipstead
says that $4,000 square miles of
public lands have been given the
railroads and they now owe the
Government over $400,O00,000 of
borrowed money.
Senator Robert M. La Toilette lie
today at work on a plan to estab-
fish a tax board which shall pass
on income tax refunds and which
shall be required to make a public
accounting to Congress of every
penny which it pays back to any
person. firm or corporation out OF
the public treasury. This move lie
the forerunner of a campaign to
establish a board which shall pub
fish any intention which admins
trative officers may have Of leasing
or disposing the public domain to
private parties. Such a board
would also pass on, In public, al
payments of public funds.
Enemies of Congress say that a
body which passes q tariff law add
ing $4,000 600, 900 a year to the cost
OF living should brush some Of the
dust off its own skirts. It's defend
ers say that whatever Congress
does 10 at least done in the open.