The Baltimore County union, the Towson news. (Towson, Md.) 1909-1912, 1909-11-13
A BucKrNe ooAr.

A BOCKING GOAT.
The charges of Louis r CLAWS, former
agent of the United States Land Office, against
Secretary Ballinger may not be true, but they
are so grave and direct that they can not prop
erly be ignored. Mr.. CLAWS evidently does
not relish being made the goat in the Pinchoi-
Ballinger controversy and be has made public
charges which if true should cause MIR. Ball
inger's summary dismissal from the Cabinet
If the allegations are not true President Taft
did quite right in directing CLAWS dismissal,
and the latter should be prosecuted for libel.
Briefly. the charges are that Mr.. Ballinger Is
not in sympathy with the Roosevelt pro-
gramme of conservation of our natural re-
sources of water, lumber and coal, and that be
has used his official position to favor fraudulent
entries on the public domain.
1t is not enough for Mr.. Taft to say that he
has every confidence in Mr.. BalliDger and does
not believe Claws story. He should make
such thorough investigation that the whole
American public, 10 whom the public domain
belongs, may also be satisfied. and that is what
will doubtless be done. As to the story given
out in some Washington circles that the CLAWS
charges are part of Roosevelt propaganda to
render Mr.. Taft's administration popular, that
is too silly to be entertained for if the charges
are untrue their falsity can easily be proven,
and the lie will react against its authors
In A preliminary report of the Agricultural
Department. made on Monday last, it was
shown that the total production of corn for
1909 is 9 767 3l6 900 bushels against 668 651 900
as finally estimated last year, with the quality
as 84.2 per cent. against 500 last year. The
preliminary estimate of the average yield per
acre is 25.4 bushels, against 262 finally esti-
mated last year. About 3 per cent of the
crop of 1908 is estimated to have been in
farmers hands on November 1, against q per
cent. of the 1907 crop in farmers hands at this
time last year.
THE UNWILLING of the monument in honor
of the Union soldiers and sailors of Maryland
erected by the State at the Mount Royal en-
trance to Druid Hill Park. took place last Sat-
urday afternoon in the presence of an i'm
mense throDg of people. Governor Crothers
and Mayor Mahool were among the guests of
the Commission. of which Gen. John R. King
is president. Maj. John 1. Yellott of Balti
more county delivered the Grafton. A feature
of the event was an imposing parade of United
States troops and the Mary land National Guard.
AT THE recent election in Nebraska Miss
Gertrude Jordan, who had been a deputy in
the office, was elected Treasurer of Cherry
county. She is q years of age and was nomi-
mated by the Republicans. The county attor-
ney questioned whether woman was eligible,
and to settle the dispute the matter was re-
ferred to the Attorney General, who declared
there was nothing in the constitution to pre-
vent Miss Jordan assuming office.
FLORENCE, N. j., was thrown into high
state of excitement on Monday last when
William Hamilton, well-to-do farmer, bust
ness man. and church worker, was arrested on
the charge of burglary. He is charged with
entering the house of rich neighbor, locking
the aged housekeeper in a room and robbing
the safe of nearly $4,000. The robber was
masked, but his identification appears to be
complete.
TOWARD THE close of last week a rumor was
widely circulated in this country that former
President Roosevelt had either been killed or
died suddenly while on his hunting expedition.
No doubt some yellow" newspaper started
the story to create sensation and make few
dollars. There was no truth in it, although
the report created considerable uneasiness in
some quarters.
On SATURDAY last the Public Service Com
mission of New York issued compilation of
the figures of the subway, elevated and surface
travel in that city during the eight days of the
Hudson-Fulton celebration, showing that all
of the Greater New York lines carried 1884
103 passengers from September 25 to October 2
inclusive.
THE APPLE crop in Montgomery county, Md.
is finer this season than for years and will add
materially to the bank accounts of the farmers
who are shipping hundreds of bushels to Bal
timore, Philadelphia and New York. The
principal varieties are the York Imperial Ben
Davis and Winesap, and all are bringing good
prices.
BALTIMORE cITY's audit, begun just after the
arrest of willie Downs, charged with steal