Show MAY QUASH THE THEt t COAL INDICTMENTS Federal Commission to Investigate Investigate gate Criminal Cases Pend Pending Pending ing in Salt Lake TO END COAL LAND DISPUTE CODY BODY HAS POWER TO DISMISS OR PROSECUTE LAND CASES CASESA A federal investigation into the crIm crImInal nal Inal proceedings growing out of land mat matters matters that is expected to clear the contro between the state and the federal concerning the disposition of public lands win will begin this week A com coat commission I mission composed of DistrIct Attorney I Booth George A Hair United States land agent at Salt Lake and a tive tiie of the department of justice probably Captain n Harris who IS In Salt Lake at will go over aU all pending cases growing out or of land disputes The inquiry into the Salt Lake cases will be a test that be followed In other parts of the and will what other In shall be made by the govern government ment The commIssion will take un UD all cases now pending and report whether they should be dismissed as of no Importance prosecuted or orbe be subjected to further in investigation This course It is expected will serve to clear the dockets of the die dis distrIct dietrict attorneys here and elsewhere where land prosecutions have been started nod and WIll go a long wa way toward ending the die dis dispute Duto between the different states and the government Investigation to Start This Week Word that the Investigation had been ordered was received in Salt Lake yester yesterday ester esterday day from WashIngton District Attorney Booth who wIll be one of the commission saId that lie he had received no formal In Instructions Instructions from Washington to take up the investigation but added that he ex expected expected such word would be received at L once Captain Harris who It is thought will wUl represent the tho attorney general in the Investigation or of the cases Is In Salt Lake conducting an Investigation of the office of the clerk or of the federal court This is the annual Investigation of the office The representative of the federal land office will wUl be George A Hair land agent here or one of his assistants The investigation ordered Is a direct re suIt Bult of at the visit to Utah of SecretarY of the Interior Garfield and was fully fore forecasted In Tie Herald at that time After thIs visit the government determined upon an Imme immediate policy which would do much to the situation Although other states have havo had their land troubles Utah was considered the best state in which to carry on an investigation which will willbe willbe be used as a criterIon for the other dis 19 t ollow Willing to Compromise The coming Investigation will it is ex expected expected result In an amIcable settlement of the disputes disposition dispo has been shown by the as announced r p In j The Herald on June 25 to quash the in indictments which were voted against sew sev several sewera eral era prominent Utah citizens charging con conspiracy In purchasing known coal lands us as agrIcultural land The second move will willbe be to drop the civil suits to secure the re return return turn of the coal lands and In addition to this all selection of lands by the state where it is proved that It was not known hat the they were coal lands will be con confirmed tinned firmed That this policy is likely ot of adoption Is shown b by the fact that the commIssion will have the power to make three recommendations recommendations alter atter their Investigation The first will be to report that the case should be dismissed as an of no Importance l whether It should be prosecuted or not and third as to whether investigation shall hall be made as to what final disposition shall be made ot of It The federal court in thIs district now has before It a large number of cases both criminal and civIl growing out of the coal lands dispute The action brought by bythe bythe the government was based upon the as assumption that lands bought from the state were known to be coal lands and should be returned to the government The of the state and or of the in individuals Individuals Interested was that the land was not known to be cow coal land as It showed no surface ns or of It at the time of purchase and that the government should confirm the sale The vIsit of Secreta Secretary Garfield to Utah resulted in several con conferences conferences between R B A Ballinger commis stoner abner of the general land office and prominent Utah citizens and it was an announced announced later that Mr r Garfield had shown shon an Inclination to take the view adopted b by bythe the state In the matter The posItion or of orthe the government which will probably be carried out by the special commission seemed to be that where the lands were bought In good faith and later proved to tobe tobe be coal lands that no action would be betaken betaken taken This policy will allow the commission to care carefully tully Investigate each case now pending before the courts nod and recommend that all that come under this classification tion be dismIsSed CrImInal Cases to Come First Although the present commission will inter t itself mainly with the criminal cases now pending it Is thought that as asan asan an Immediate result the government land office at Washington will soon take came action concerning the application or of citi citizens zeus zens to the state land board for the pur purchase purchase chase or of land Uld under selections from the government For the past two years these applications have been held up by the government but It Is said that the de department department of the Interior has indicated that It will take up these applications at Once Just when the start Its Work Mr Booth could not say yesterday Captain Harris Barns has about completed his Work in the clerks office and It Is ex that he will confer conter with Mr Booth and Mr Hair and be ready to take up the land matter this week A weeks time will 1111 be necessary to go over aU all cases for this district |