The Daily Alaska empire., 1930-03-18
THE FACTS IN THE CASE.
EMPIRE REPORT INDIAN SUIT IS
 MALICIOUS LIE

EMPlt(E REROtCl INDIAN DUH 10
 MALICIOUS LIE
 The Juneau Empire under the heading of
 special despatch to The Empire" printed
 story reporting that the bill before Con-
 gress to permit the Haida and Thlinget In-
 dians of Alaska to for dispossession of
 their lands, thrown out of the
 mittee before it was for consideration, is
 inexcusable breach of newspaper ethics
 and a deliberate evarication.-( Petersburg
 Alaskan)
 While the English of the above is open to criti- cism, the meaning is plain The author, who refuges in anonymity, apparently has forsaken subtlety and substituted buntness.
 The facts in the matter are these; On February 22 The Empire received despatch from Wash ington D. C.. signed by Thomas A. Marquam as follows
 Claims Committee of House today killed
 House Bill 8301 introduced January 9th,
 by Sutherland at Wickershams instance,
 permitting Alaska Indians to bring suit
 against Government in Court of Claims for
 loss of lands and other alleged rights
 This telegram, preceded by the words special despatch to The Empire" to distinguish it from The Empires regular press service despatches was re- printed in The Empire under a Washington date line
 In so handling this matter, The Empire vo- lated no newspaper ethics. merely followed prac- tice that is common to newspapers generally Neither SOilSSAOAoAy then, and knows now, the statement was correct.
 The Petersburg paper quotes despatch from Delegate Sutherland to Judge Wickersham one of the attorneys engaged by the Indians to get the necessary legislation passed and to prosecute the projected suits against the Government, saying that there has been action on the bill to enable the Indians to bring suit in the Court of Claims" This does not necessarily mean that the information sent to The Empire is incorrect Both men could be right, and probably are
 It is well known fact that more bills die in committees of Congress than are reported out in fact many The procedure in such cases is generally follows: bill is introduced and is promptly referred to a committee say the Com mittee on Claims in the present instance. The Chairman of the Committee then passes it along to subcommittee to investigate it's merits and report back to the main committee. The sub committee holds hearings or not as it may see fit Members study their copies of it. If hearings are held, sometimes when they are, the sub committee chairman or some member interested in the measure, polls the memberships Any one of three kinds of agreement may be reached-one to report favorably with without amendment an- other to report unfavorably and the third to allow the bill to die in committee without report, which is tantamount to throwing it out of the committee as The Empires despatch said was the case with the Indian suit measure. If the last method is adopted, the committee takes action as MT. Sutherland said had happened in this instance.
 Thus, it could easily be true that both he and MT. Marquam correct in their statements as to the status of the bill. However MT Sutherland added in his telegram to Judge Wickersham that he was assured of full hearing before the sub committee" But this does not mean that the sub committee already has not made it's decision to take no action and let the measure die in committee Anyone all familiar with legislative practice knows that many hearings are held by committees which mean nothing because the minds of the committee men have been made up and their decision formed before the hearings are called
 The Petersburg critic of The Empire then con- tinues in his anemic indictment of this paper:
 When questioned Editor John w Troy of
 The Empire, stated that the telegram was
 from Tom Marquam who is in Washington
 Again the facts are these: Will A. Steel candi- date of the Indian faction for Republican nomna- tion for Senator, appeared in MT. Troys office a short time ago with telegram to Judge Wicker sham purporting to be from Delegate Sutherland which identical with that quoted by the Peters burg paper. MT. Troy showed him MT. Marquams telegram to The Empire. MT. Troy not "ques- toned by Steel for that palpably need nc exposition The latter made the call to trade information and MT Troy had no objection tc trading. Nor for obvious did Steel then say or intimate that The Empire guilty of 8 breach of newspaper ethics and of prevaricaton and, unless he be the author of the criticism in the Petersburg paper, which is the official organ oi the Alaska Native Brotherhood he has not done SC where it was known to, could come to the knowledge of The Empire.
 Continuing, the Petersburg Indian organ said
 William L. Paul, one of the attorneys