Show BALLINGER BLAMES ALASKA TROUBLES ON TIlE TE WASHINGTON No Nov 7 Blaming Blaming the agitation since the withdrawal of ot Alaskan Alaskan Alas Alas- Ala Ala- kan coal lands In 1906 a a- a athe the cause of keeping the question queston unsettled and also for the inaction of ot congress Secretary Ballinger Sunday made public a statement statement state state- ment in which he assails those who charged him with being an opponent of conservation and blames them for the unsettled conditions in Alaska Alaska- Alaka The statement was war brought out by the recent recant indictments against Alaska coal claim claim- ants In this connection the secretary sa says s 's that these those are but further steps in the t being ma made e by the government government government govern govern- ment to clear and settle sette this whole ques tion V ton Since the withdrawal order was made to enable congress to decide upon a definite policy of ot dealing with this re resource resource re- re source soure the secretary pays aYs there has been throughout the tho country much agitation agitation agia- agia tion ton regarding Alaska coal coal and and agitation a large part of ot which Is based on false statements Whatever has been the motive mo mo- tive behind the agitation it has resulted in keeping the whole question queston unsettled and is largely blamable for the inaction ina mae inac tion ton of ot congress To Clear Olear Situation The secretary points out that there tere are two essentials for clearing up the situ atlon aton An early prosecution and disposition dis dis- position of ot pending cases Involving charges of ot fraud and conspiracy against existing claimants and congressional ac action action ac ac- tion ton definitely deciding the manner in which Alaskan an coal lands may be bo ac ac ac- qui red As the Pacific coast Is obliged to draw its is goods from the Atlantic coast coat the secretary secretary sec sec- says the charge has arisen that the interests are the beneficiaries of ot the policy which prevents the opening up of large fuel deposits There has been much talk Secretary Ballinger continues of the interests opposing that called so-called so-caled so conservation which makes for tor re reservation rather th than l' l luse use but as a matter mater of fact the Interests intereSts interests inter ests' ests naturally favor rather than oppose the reservation and use non-use Idea To my mind a continuation of the present situation is the direct antithesis of national conservation Consider that for each five tons of Atlanta seaboard coal transported to the Pacific coast one ton i Is used up in transportation or a total waste of 20 per cent and you will wi see that methods do not conserve con con- serve but destroy From an economic point of view ItIs it itIs i Is Intolerable that this waste should continue continue con con- and that a large region should be handicapped in its is legitimate development and the proper use of its Is resources by bythe bythe bythe the failure of the government properly to settle sette the problems of how to use these resources It I Js is most sincerely to tobe tobe tobe be h hoped ped that congress will wi determine early In the coming session the manner in which Alaska coal may be taken out and placed In the markets of the Pacific Pacific Pa Pa- coast coat before those markets are arc absorbed absorbed absorbed ab ab- ab- ab b by foreign importations |