Show ALASKA COAL OASES CASES Under the above title H V WInchell one of the leading mining geologists in inthe Inthe inthe the United States makes an appeal for fair play in a recent issue of the En Engineering EngineerIng Engineering and Mining Journal Mr Winchell Is one of the Cunningham claimants is conversant t with the land lane laws the coal districts in Alaska and particularly the group in which he is interested The article of Mr Winchell sheds new light on the at ot con controversy controversy controversy He Be Quotes the law under which the locations were made gives the names of substantial citizens who r employed Clarence Cunningham anc and gives a complete history of the whole transaction It appears that the law under which the entries were made was complied with in every respect that Secretary Garfield Grfield refused to allow ow patents to be issued until the law was modified that thc the claimants stood upon Upi n their rights and refused patents after a new law had been passed that the patents pat ts have never been issued Mr Winchell shows that the existing law was set aside by br Secretary Garfield arfield without the least compunction or re regard regard regard gard for the rights of men who had put up their good money to acquire coal claims in Alaska men who had nc no intention of at violating the law and who did not violate It He gives the history of the connection of Secretary Bellinger Bi with the claimants and ex explodes explodes f podes the story that the Guggenheims T were to get the lands when patents were issued Attention l is paid to Glavis and all alloth others oth rs connected with the case and aM Mr Winchell makes the following sum summary summary mary Although there has b wn n for six years a law specifically providing for forthe forthE forthe the location and und sale of coal lands in Alaska at 10 per acre there has not as yet been one acre patented Instead of controlling all the coal lands in Alaska the Cunningham claims comprise only acres r United States geological g logical survey esti estimates estimates estimates mates about acres in this Llis particular lar field and many much m ch in other Alaskan fields The Guggenheims have no Interest In the Cunningham claims and negotiations looking to that end fell through almost immediately The Cunningham claims were not located by dummies but by bj respectable citizens under the law If justice is rendered they will probably probably ably abl be the first Alaskan coal lands patented and developed The Interests of or Alaska of the Pa coast and of the general govern goern government ment require the opening of coal mines In Alaska The policy polley of obstruction and delay has already resulted in dwindling of population and the stag stagnation stagnation stagnation nation of enterprise and all kinds of development Conservation does not mean obstruction obstruct t tion and positive violation of the laws lawsin lawsin lawsin in In so far as It does It Is not sound nor to be commended and practiced practiced practiced The hue and cry cr raised immediately after Mr Ballinger B became secretary of the interior was entirely owing to the fact that he proposed to be guided by the law as he found it He knew that an attempt had been made to tomake tomake tomake make the law of 1908 1905 retroactive and had no sympathy with the men who I tried to conduct the business of the government in that manner Hence war was made upon the new secretary in order to bolster up the actions of or his predecessor Now that the muckraking has pro proceeded proceeded ceded to the extreme limit it it is time for the people of the country to calmly analyze all the facts brought out and andrender andrender 1 render judgment It is the purpose of the prosecution to appeal to the people In case the verdict goes against them That the committee will exonerate Secretary Ballinger there can be no doubt The evidence not only warrants such action but con condemns condemns condemns his accusers Another thing It has been shown that instead of enforcing the laws un under under Under der the constitution high government officials have been In the habit of or an annulling annulling these laws whenever It suited their whims and we have been drift drifting inc ing ln in the direction of an autocracy IF It Itis is time the seal zeal of condemnation was 4 put upon that practice In President Taft we have an executive executive executive tive who is striving to perform his du duties dutes ties tes in accordance with his oath of of office office fice flee Knowing the law he will wUl enforce it But he ho will not take a single lIngle step beyond the authority expressly given him The effort to strike down Secre Secretary Secretary Secretary tary Ballinger Is an attempt to wreck the administration of President Taft In effect it is an attack upon our re republican republican republican publican form of government We fancy the people of the country are not ready to abandon the constitution framed by the fathers |