their hands showing to the electorate their su
preme ignorance of the subject upon which they
pretend to legislate. The move is theirs. We make
our prediction. Yes, you guessed it the first time!
-x
WILL INVESTIGATE ALASKA OIL PERMITS
-x
Several suspicious applications for permits to
develop oil and gas lands in Alaska are under in
vestigation in the General Land Office at Wash
ington, D. C., Senator Wesley L. Jones has been
told. The applications are by “associations” com
posed of as many as fifty or sixty persons.
Commissioner Moore of the General Land Of
fice has informed the senator that evidence has
been found that “dummies” were solicited to
participate, paying $2 an acre to promoters under
the allurement of riches in Alaska lands.
ine uperuuuns are saia to Dear tne earmarKs
of a swindling scheme and the commissioner is
obtaining evidence as to the representations thai
were made and the funds collected. Senator Jones
was at the same time advised that reports that all
oil and gas permits in Alaska are to be turned
down are erroneous. No instructions for general
adverse action have been issued, and each appli
cation will be considered on its own merits.
Noth tlic Depariment cf Interior and the pos
tal authorities have investigated a group of sales
men in Seattle, representing a California com
pany, who have been selling shares in a syndicate
to investors who were led to believe they were oh -
earning for each $2 invested, one acre of federal
oil lends in Alaska. The investigators both federal
and priv to, discovered that the officers of the
concern declared their salesmen were only “sell
ing at an acre a service” and not land. This
service it w s explained, gave every purchaser an
couito cf one a/ 1 e of oil lands, “that may be locat
ed in the future.”
T-'o Department of Interior reported to the
SeatCe investigators v/hen they comolrined to
Washington, that no oil land leases in Alaska had
been anphed for by the syndicate and none had
been granted. The salesmen are charged with mis
representation according to reports made by the
investigators but did not use the mails.
-x
JUDGE HARDINGS LAST INSTRUCTIONS
TO BERCOVICH JURY
-x
Considerable debate has been going on among
lawyers as to the legality of the special instruc
tions given to the “Matt Bercovich” jury by the
Hon. Justin W. Harding. Some lawyers think that
he virtually instructed the jury to bring in a
verdict according to the majority opinion. Others
think that Judge Harding qualified his ins true
tions so that it showed no bias or prejudice and
thus was fair to “Black Matt.” Others say that
while these instructions (which we print here
with) seem fair on its face, yet the Judge probably
knew or had a good idea how the jury was stand
ing and in the light of that knowledge, he knew
that he was virtually instructing the “stubborn”
members of the jury to bring in a verdict of
“guilty.”
We are like the Squire in the Coverly Papers
and give it as our opinion that “Much can be said
on both sides.”
The Instructions
After deliberating for almost a day, the jury
received the following instruction from Judge
Justin W. Harding, presiding:
“In a large proportion of cases absolute cer
tainty cannot be expected, and although the jury’s
verdict must be the verdict of each individual
juror and not a mere acquiescence in the con
clusion of your fellows, yet you should examine
the question submitted with candor and with a
proper regard and deference to the opinions of
o. cn ether; it is your duty to decide the case, if
you can conscientiously do so. You should listen
with a disposition to be convinced, to each others
♦arguments. If much the larger number are for
conviction, a dissenting juror should consider
Wiieche. ms dmibt is a reasonable one, inasmuch
as it made no impression upon the minds of so
many men and women equally honest and equally
intelligent with himself. If, upon the other hand,
the majority be for acquittal the minority ought
to ask themselves whether they might not reason
ably doubt the correctness of a judgement which
was not concurred in by the majority.”
The jury serving in the case included the
id c ;hng named 12 persons:
W. L. Martin, J. H. Davis, W. K. Spaulding,
T S Pitcher, Axel Carlson, George Gunderson,
Mrs. J. G. Startup, Sam Murchison, Boyd Nakat
ka, William Lang, Fred Usher, H Nicholas.
The maximum penalty under the law is two
years imprisonment and a fine of $10,000.
POWER TRUST AN ISSUE
The Federal Government must enact and en
force legislation for the regulation of the “power
trust” by 1932, or it will be a big issue in the presi
dential campaign, recently declared Governor
elect Gifford Pinchot of Pennsylvania, after a con
ference with President Hoover.
With the recall of confirmation of the names
of three members to the Federal Power Board, by
the Senate, and President Hoover’s refusal to com
ply with the request, it would appeal that the
“power trust” issue is here and one need not wait
until 1932 for it