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Show PROMINENT MEN ARE INVOLVED IN GREEN ALASKA COAL LAND FRAUDS ' KacLachlan of California Explains How He i Obtained a " Claim "Sen. Paynter Ke j signs from Investigating Committee Washington. J3n. 31 Senator Paynter Payn-ter of Kentucky, pleading illness, today to-day re.'.lgm'd from the BalllngcrPln-thnt BalllngcrPln-thnt Ir. vesicating committee. HU plaop was offered by minority leader Mf.ney to a half dozen or more senators, sena-tors, but none has accepted. I Washington, Jan 31. Explaining ! Ms connection with Alaskan coai I claims, as brought out In the Ballln-I Ballln-I ger l'lnchot Investigation, Representative Representa-tive MacLachlan, California, today j mentioned Governor Gillette and Representatives Rep-resentatives Knowland and McKlnley 1 i California as being Interested la I the proposition with himself and Rep-1 Rep-1 resentatlve KJncaid, Nebraska, and a number of others. j Mr. MacLachlan declared the proposition propo-sition was entirely legal and ethical. A di)en r more men of prominence were Introduced In what was known as the "Oreen group." be said. Ho ild not recall the names of all of hU associate. Speaking of the Green (lalms. Mr. McLachlan said: "If there has been any violation of law in this matter I am not aware of It. I went Into the proposition two or three years ago at tho suggestion of Mr. Green, and have paid out so far about $4,000 In surveying and deveki-Ing deveki-Ing my claim. The land was taken up In the ordinary manner of filing on ml.'ieral lands. "In the beginning, I purchased the right of tho original cntryman, and I d' not know anything about the manner man-ner in which his filing was rojide. If there was anything wrong with It, ll occurred before I went into It. I don't remember the name of the man I rem whom I bought the filing right. "I have not yet applied for a patent pat-ent from tho government, because I have been busy with the development work. We have foand coal on the land, but I don't know how much. A niM:ay.lne article Just published saya my claim is worth $19,000, but if I fan pet $4000 out of It 1 will he glad. In fact, I would sell out for a lees sum than the amount I put in it. "The law provldoH that the army and navy can have all the coal it wants from our claim at a prlco to b? fixed by the government. If our claims are sold to a trust or monopoly, the whole property reverts under th law to the government. "Not more than 1C-0 acres can b: held by ono person, and that Is tho amount of my claim. The law provides pro-vides also that there can be no consolidation con-solidation of claims aggregating mop-than mop-than 2.FI0 acres. The group repre-n-ntfd by Governor Gillette and Rep-rexontatlvo Rep-rexontatlvo McKlnlay. Knowland. Gillette Gil-lette and myself Is within that llrrti." |