The Montgomery advertiser., 1909-08-30
McHARG QUITS,
TAFT WILLING
Expects to Resume Pr
vate Business So
DIsLKEs ROoy ! MEN
Bitterly Denounces Present Forest
Policy.
Assistant to Secretary Of Commerce.
and Labor Presents Resignation
After Controversy Started by
Chief Forester Pinchot.
MEN

Beverly, Mass, Aug. 29.-The resig-
nation Of ormsby McHarg, assistant
secretary of the Department Of Com
MERGE and Labor, will be accepted. Sec
rotary Nagel. head Of the Department.
had an extended conference with Pres
ident Taft this afternoon and the ques-
tion Of successor to Mr.. McHarg was
discussed.
Secretary Nagel received a letter
from the assistant secretary today say
ing that he must adhere to his first
intention Of remaining In the depart
ment only for a period of six months.
This term will expire September and
by that time Secretary Nagel hopes to
be ready to announce the choice OF
new assistant.
Mr.. McHarg announced some time
ago that he would soon leave the Gov
eminent service to engage In private
business. In his letter to Secretary Ma
gel today he reminds him of his inten-
ton to leave the service. but says that
II successor cannot be found by Sep
TENDER 4. he viii continue in office un-
til October J..
There was no one in Beverly today
who would say that Mr.. McHarg's re-
signation was in any wise the result
of the interview with him published in
Washington last week In which the
secretary is accredited with having said
some rather sharp things about for
mer President Roosevelt and his policy
OF forest conservation. Mr.. McHarg
has denied making any such references
to Mr.. Roosevelt personally.
Bitter Against Roosevelt.
Assistant Secretary McEarg is said
to have grown quite bitter over the
free manner In which some Of the Gov
eminent officials in Washington. gen.
orally known as the Roosevelt eie-
ment" have been criticising members
of the Taft administration. Conse-
quently, he IL reported to have ex-
pressed his own views in rather for
chile manner and the controversy start
ed by Chief Forester Pinchot with the
Secretary of the Interior, Mr.. Ballin-
ger, IL declared here to be growing
to such proportions that the President
viii have to take q hand to put the
Government house at Washington in
order.
Mr.. Taft has been reluctant to take
oficial cognizance OF the controversy.
which staEtea At the Irrigation Con-
gtess ut Spokane, continued through
the Trans Mississippi Conference at
Denver. and since then has been waged
with more or less intensity at the ma
tional capital. He had hoped that the
whole AFFAIR was a tempest in a tea
pOt Wl1Cn SOOn WOu1u SIMMER GOWN
without any action on his part.
In addition to the Secretary of Com
merce and Labor, the President had
with him this afternoon the Secretary
OF State, Mr.. Knox, and the Secretary
Of the Navy, Mr.. Meyer. 1t is said that
the chot-Ballinger controversy had
large share in the elaboration of
the conference. President Taft has no
engagement to see Secretary BalIinger
oar ri ft1ck 60 4
in Seattle on September 20. Mr.. Bal
linger has been invited and has ac-
cepted an invitation to accompany the
President on a large part of the lat
ter's Pacific coast itinerary. The invi-
tation will offer an opportunity for Mr..
Ballinger to lay his side of the contro-
versy before the President.
UphoIds Cabinet Members.
In all matters affecting departments
under the control OF Cabinet officers
1t has been the Presidents policy to
uphold the Cabinet member unfailing-
ly.
The President, while refusing abso-
lutely to discuss the Pinchot- BaIlinger
controversy in any way, has intimated
to friends that he hopes no drastic
action will be necessary Mr.. Taft
soon Is to traverse the territory where
the conservation plans are of supreme
Importance. The President unquestion-
ably will take advantage of his pres
ence In the West to state the policy of
his administration as to conservation
of natural resources.
Secretary Knox Is the guest of Henry
C. Frick at Beverly farm. He will
remain for a week or more, will be the
Presidents opponent at golf over the
Myopia links and will have a number
of conferences with his superior
Secretary Nagel left for New York
tonight to attend the first meeting of
the Presidents law commission to-
morrow morning.
Mr.. Nagel said before leaving to.
night that there was no political or
other significance attached to McHarg's
resignation.
Mr.. Nagel also stated that President
Taft would have before him some time
this week the names OF the census SUI
pervisors who are yet to be appointed.