Ottumwa tri-weekly courier. [volume] (Ottumwa, Iowa) 1903-1916, 1909-09-18
BAL LINCER is
UPHELD BY TAFT
PRESIDENT susTAINs POSITION
OF sEcRETARY-DEPART.
MENT KICKER FIRED.

Albany, Sept ia letter from
PRESIDENT Taft to Secretary Ballinger
written before the president left Bev-
eriy, was given out here last night. In
| 1t Taft announced his findings upon
the charges against the conduct of the
INFERIOR nhies department by L. F. CLAWS,
ch1ef of the field division of the general
land office, in connection with the
cunningham coal land claims in Alas
ka. Taft exonerates Ballinger and OBJ
serves that the CLAWS case embraced
only "shreds of suspicion without sub
stantial evidence"
The president grants Ballinger's re-
quests for authority to dismiss CLAWS
for unjustly impeaching the official
integrity of his superior officer" and
reviews the evidence in the so-called
water power trust" and other cases
to refute the charges that the secretary
of the interior is out of sympathy with
the policy of the administration in ia
v so,, % OF # the conservation 9f natural re-
CLAWS Is Scored.
President Taft says: THE record
shows that in his zeal 10 convict your
self. Acting Secretary Pierce. Commits
sioner bennett, and Mr.. Schwartz Gla-
Wis did not give me the benefit of in
formation that would have thrown
light on the transactions, showing
tiiSiii CoiSiSteilL Will lDe d. :
tltude on your part toward the claims
IN question. The evidence in respect
to which. you We're consulted as attor-
ney was not secured by CLAWS until
after your resignation as commissioner
general of the land office.
The second inference by CLAWS is
that You acted improperly since be-
coming secretary of the interior in ref
erence to the Cunningham cases. Your
only action which could affect the
Cunningham claims was your order
that the thirty thousand claims pend
ing in the land office be pressed to a
final disposition and these included the
nineteen Cunningham claims. As such
expedition was essential to both public
interest and claimants. it could hardlp
be said TO be an action in Cunningham
claims. The statement that you use
influence in favor of the Cunningham
claims is unsupported by hte cyl
dence."
BaIlinser Commended.
Concerning the charge that Ballinger
is out of sympathy with the Roosevelt
Taft policy in favor of conservation Of
national resources especially in con-
sales and the reclamation of arid lands,
Taft reviews the circumstances of the
various far western controversies and
Ballinger's official acts in connection
with cases at length and says:
"T]le persons responsible for these
charges have done you a cruel inius-
tice. The laws fundamental mandate
is that no reclamation project be en-
tered upon until there is money in the
reclamation fund to pay for the part
contracted for. ] am assured that the
work of reclamation Is being carried on
wherever tho funds are available with
all the dispatch possible. I hope you
will report to congress exactly what
has been done, and what ought to be
done, and what legislation Is needed to
further this great work.
HE is the best friend Of the conser-
walton policy who insists that every
step taken be buttressed by legal au-
thority. From everything I know re-
specting the conduct of your depart
Inent am able to say you are fully in
synpath with the attitude of this adj
p1inistration in favor of the conserva-
ton of national resources"