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Show PlfOOIJHE VICTOR ALASKAN COAL LANDS ARE RESTORED RE-STORED TO THE PUBLIC AFTER LONG AND BITTER FIGHT. Chief Forester Pinchot and Several Minor Officials Were Dismissed From Public Service as Result of Controversy Over Claims. Washington. The famous Cunning ham Alaskan coal land claims, through which it has been alleged that the Morgan-Guggenheim syndicate had planned to extend their vast interests in Alaska and to control one of the most valuable coal fiel-Js in the world, were on Monday formally disallowed by the department of the interior. Secretary of the Interior Fisher having hav-ing approved the department's decision deci-sion as handed down by Fred Dennett, commissioner of the land office, the last door is believed to have been closed to the Cunningham claimants. Their attorneys have threatened an appeal to the United States supreme court, but such an appeal can be based only on sonie point 01 7.' involved, in-volved, and not on the findings of fact, as announced by the department The Cunningham claims have been in the public eye for more than two years. They brought about the Ballinger-Pinchot investigation by congress, and the dismissal from the public service of Chief Forester Gif-ford Gif-ford Pinchot, Louis R. Glavis, a chief of field division in the land office, and several minor officials. Both Messrs. Pinchot and Glavis were dismissed dis-missed for insubordination incident to their attacks on former Secretary Bal-linger, Bal-linger, whom they claimed was favorably favor-ably disposed toward the claims. In announcing the decision of the department, Secretary . Fisher, who succeeded Mr. Ballinger, declared tnat new coal land laws are needed in Alaska if that territory is to be developed de-veloped properly. Pinchot Pleased. New York. Perhaps nobody in the country was better pleased with the final disposition of the Cunningham GIFFORD PINCHOT. claims than Gifford Pinchot, whose own fortunes had pivoted upon them so critically. "The cacellation of the claims," he said, "is proof, given by the administration adminis-tration itself, that t Be fight made against it to prevent coal monopoly in Alaska was not only successful, but necessary and righ. This victory insures in-sures the cancellation of multitudes of other fraudulent claims in Alaska." |