GRABBING MINERALS.

Dominion, Volume 3, Issue 748, 22 February 1910, Page 5

GRABBING MINERALS.

ALASKA COAL. INQXTIET IN TEE TOTTED STATES , . By TeleeraDli—Ptms Association—Oodjttlcbi. (Ee«. February 21, 9.30 p.m.) .'■■■■. Now York, February 21. . A Committee of the TJnitcd States Congress is inquiring in the Alaskan mineral concessions. Last year. charges were made that. Mr. Ballinger, Secretary of the Interior in tbe Taft Cabinet, was favouring powerful interests which were attempting to corner the. water-power of the country and the coal lands of Alaska. '~ ■

Evidence given before the ; Committee shows that Mr. Pierpont .Morgan, and Senator Guggenheim headed a syndicate which arranged to buy half the Cunningham coal claims for. ,£50,(100. Mr. Birch, the syndicate's manager, ' informed the Coinmitteo that ■the'. Cunningham mines would yield 50 million tons of coal, and that , the profit wouldbe .£5,000,000. The entire district would yield 500,000,000 tons of coal, and the net- value - would, be ■•• : .:.",; •.,.••■■■...'■ , Under the present land laws the whole wouid have passed into private pockets unless President Boosevelt had,withdrawn the Alaskan lands from disposal, peading legislation. '■ ' >~■■ ■ ■ .. ■ .'. ■'", . THE CONSERVATION OF-NATURAL RESOURCES. ; : ROOSEVELT AND TAFT POLICIES. The.issue is a,very big one! According to soma authorities, it is not only: pub-' lio policy y.' trusts, but the partuig of the ways between the Taft and the-EoW--velt policies,, perhaps with disastrous results to the former and to the Eeirablican party generally.' ;....■■ Taft and tho Baliinger Charflet,', ; ■ Tho charges against.Mr. Baliinger; Secretary of the Interior, have . been !&• jected by President Taft,. backed up by his' Attorney-General, , Mr. Wiokershnm. But the charges were reaffirmed by Mr. Giftord Pinchot, Chief Forester, the intimate friend and adviser of.: Mr. ; Eooeer yelt, and originator of the'policy of the conservation of American natural' resources which Mr. Eoosevelt made one of the notable features. of,: his -regime. : iiMr. Pinchot, whose zeal for : the publio in-; terest is undeniable, has set himself but to-obstruct capitalistic; manoeuvres,' such as that outlined in today's cablegram. The Alaskan lands had been' withdrawn from disposal by President Eoosevelt, bot under the-Taft-Administration the danger is revived, ''.';', : , ■ . ;' r : • ■ Chief.. Forester Dismissed. r ; J .'■ 'In' a; letter to 'Senator i Dolliner, Mr. Pinchot practically 'endorsed- the.; charges against Mr. , Baliinger, and , stated that,. in- dismissing them, President Taft ,'Tiad acted upon , misinformation/' For ij this President- Taft. dismissed.. Mr.: Pinchot, writing:."By.your conduct'you havo'destroyed your usefulness: as- a helpful subordinatel of'the. Government." : ;. ': - : ■ Although Mr..Pmchot's:zeal may haTe. : outrun.-his discretion,'and although, his insubordination may'- have, rendered;;him' liable to;dismiseal, .the fact remains that the Committee of Congress now inquiring into the, Alaska affair may, if it finds llr. Baliinger guilty, deal , a , heavy blow both at President - Taft and his, Administration.. ... ■■;.-, ■[/.,'.::.;■'.,;;:. .■ President's Position.;';;:.;" ; ;■;''. •'!.•'•' ; : '.'■ The -New York ;correspont of : "the Times",;'' writes:—"The ; President some; months .ago .pronounced, after ;personal , . inquiry ;that. the. charges were unfounded;' If Congress should deliver a'-'different' verdict, Mr. Taffs, position :would b« indeed difficult; even if; his, conclusion- is, endorsed, it is. unlikely.'that the agitation: againet Mr. Baliinger will eease. When Mr.-Pinchot'baae 'farewell;yesterday to his subordinates in l the i'oreat SeiTice he was receivedvwith a wild "out-, burst of cheering,, He delivered a epseen in , which ho .'declared:' 'This-fight must go , on,' and ; told his "hearers' never.to'for-' :get that; I ' 'you 'are : - serving .a ; much'. . greater master than the; Administration—' the people of the United "States.'. . It: is.clear, 1 in'-, the words of one correspondent,' that the-.Forest , Service.sfrpin; top' to bottom will become' a,. unit in ■ opposition toMr. Taft.''.:. :;;;■, ■' ._'.;■: ;; ■..; v. : ...; !Back r .From Elba , . Movement. • . ; i.;

.'."'The >merib'lot;,<fo''controversy, which : is ' highly technical, must" be; leit. to; tho future to decide.,-:.lt'assumesrthe deepest, political' significance, because newspapers .and magazines., have,'sought materia! therein to. discredit, the Administration as being untrue to the policies -of the' eiPresidont: • 'While':,one'.need'.not hastily Credit the report! of a."back from Elba , conspiracy to prevent ' the Tenomination of Mr. Taft ih 1912, and to.'ensure that of Mr. : Bpbsevelt,. it is. unquestionable: that many_ friends of the' latter have come to a point at, which they can 6ee nothing good in, the, actions lof ■Mγ.. Taft'. The truths-is, .■however,.:. ! that : Mr.. .Taft: ;has abandoned the '■ -means,' .but not■. the ends, :of his ■Dredecessor, 'and unfortunatelyj the. distinction-is forgotten.. ':„.',;, '" i