THE INTERESTS \^S. THE PEOPLE 



571 



IV. THE ALASKA COAL LANDS 



Finally, as to the Alaska coal lands. 



In Alaska is the Chugach National 

 Forest. On its eastern edge is a 

 coal field containing, it is said, the 

 finest grade of steam coal. The field 

 is valued at something less than a bil- 

 lion dollars. 



Over half of this field is in the Na- 

 tional Forest ; President Roosevelt hav- 

 ing, on his last day in ofiice, so extend- 

 ed the boundaries of the forest reserve 

 as to take in between 1,000 and 2,000 

 acres of this coal tract. 



Now comes Mr. L. R. Glavis, chief 

 of the Field Division of the Land Office, 

 with a story buttressed by affidavits. 



This story is placed directly in the 

 hands of President Taft. In it are 

 charges which, if sustained, mean a gov- 

 ernmental earthquake. 



One Clarence Cunningham, an Idaho 

 prospector, discovered this field, bought 

 out other prospectors who had 

 filed claims on it, and, with thirty-two 

 associates, himself filed claims to 5,280 

 acres under the coal land laws. These 

 entries, it is claimed, were made by 

 "dummies" picked up from docks and 

 among unemployed miners. 



Cunningham attempted to have his 

 claims approved by the Department of 

 the Interior ; Secretary Garfield, how- 

 ever, refused ; but Cunningham did not 

 abandon hope. 



Ballinger was, at this time, Commis- 

 sioner of the General Land Office, and 

 gave the Cunningham case his personal 

 attention. 



On resigning, he immediately became 

 attorney for Cunningham. In this 

 capacity, he filed a brief in the Interior 

 Department urging Secretary Garfield 

 to issue patents for the Cunningham 

 lands. 



On becoming secretary, Ballinger 

 turned the handling of the Cunningham 

 claims over to his assistant secretary, 

 Mr. Pierce. 



The Glavis story tends to show that 

 the Interior Office, by an important 

 ruling, sought to ensure the granting of 

 the Cunningham claims, and by numer- 

 ous telegrams to Glavis, to hasten pro- 

 ceedings. 



Mr. Glavis believed the case to in- 

 volve conspiracy, and wanted time ; his 

 superiors, instead, it appears, wanted 

 "expedition." 



Then follows the account of Mr. 

 Glavis's appeals direct: 



The first of these was to the Attorney 

 General, who reversed the above ruling 

 and decided that charges of conspiracy 

 might lie in the Cunningham case. 



The second was to the Forest Service, 

 informing that office that the Cunning- 

 ham claims, more than half in the 

 Chugach National Forest, were about 

 to proceed to hearing, and requesting 

 the cooperation of that office in obtain- 

 ing a postponement until the Govern- 

 ment could complete its case. This, it 

 is held, is the first official intimation re- 

 ceived by the Forest Service that hear- 

 ings in the Alaska coal case had been 

 ordered. 



And finally comes Mr. Glavis' ap- 

 peal, in person and with papers, to the 

 President himself. 



The whole account is sensational to a 

 degree. It seems clear either that the 

 Interior Office is shamelessly maligned, 

 or that it requires the immediate per- 

 sonal attention of the President and. 

 perhaps, of a grand jury. 



The latest word, as we go to press, 

 is that the President has called upon the 

 Department of the Interior for a com- 

 plete statement of the Cunningham 

 case. 



