Arizona republican., 1909-09-26
STATEMENTS BY BOTH
Letter to Secretary Ballin- ger Not to Be Construed as a Censure of MT. Pin chot, Who Will Remain at His Post

Salt Lake, sept. ZO--AS result ol several conferences with Chief For ester Clifford Pinchot here today. the president caused to be issued a state ment in which it is declared that never at any time during the Ballinger- Pinchot controversy has the president intended to reflect upon Pinchot, and in which MT. Taft takes a more for ward stand than ever in favor of the Roosevelt policies for the conservation of natural resources.
 The president indicates that what is to be done in the way of reclaiming arid lands must be done within the law but he announces his intention of applying to congress for such con firmatory legislation as will put the Roosevelt policies upon the firmest possible basis.
 Pinchot. before leaving tonight for Washington. also issued a statement in which he makes public a portion of NIT. Tafts letter written to the chief forester at the time the letter to MT. BaIlinger was dictated. The president said he hoped that Pinchot would not find a reason in the Ballinger letter for resigning.
 T shall not resign" declared Pin chet. and he adds that he will continue to serve the government along the same line he has pursued in the past, concluding with the statement, Il be- neve in equality of opportunity and Roosevelt policies and I propose to stand for them as long as I have strength to stand for anything"
 Pinchot's statement was shown to the president before it was given out.
 In view of published statements that the letter of the president to NIT. Ballinger was to. be considered in some way a reflection on Pinchot, the presi- dent today authorized the publication of the following: That at the time he wrote the letter to MT. Ballinger he also wrote a letter to MT. Pinchot, assuring him that the conclusions stated therein were not intended in any way to reflect on him; that the president deemed Pinchots influence in public service of the utmost value and that he expected to continue the Roosevelt policies as to conservation of resources. including the reclamation of arid lands. the preservation of our forests and a proper restriction in re- spect to the use of coal lands and water power sites. as well as the i'm provement of water ways. and he would ask congress for such confirina- tory and enabling legislation as would put the execution of those policies on the firmest basis, and he would deem it a great loss if. in respect to matters with which MT Pinchot has been con- cerned, the administration should be denied the benefit of his future service"
 The president held long conference with Pinchot at the Knutsford hotel after a banquet given by the Fifteenth infantry. Pinchot's statement, which was made public at same time, fol- lows: At the suggestion of the presi- dent l make public the following ex- tracts from his letter to me mentioned in the statement he just authorized: I wish you to know that I have the utmost confidence in your conscien- tious desire to serve the government and the public; in the intensity of your purpose to achieve success in the matter of the Conservation of natural resources and in the immense value of what you have done and propose to do in reference to forestry and kindred methods of conservation. l am thor oughly in sympathy with all these policies and propose to do everything that I can to maintain them. insisting only that the action for which I be- come responsible or for which my ad- ministration becomes responsible shall be within the law
 I should consider it one of the great est losses that my administration could sustain if you were to leave it, and sincerely hope that you will not think that my action in writing the enclosed letter to Mir Ballinger is a reason for your taking q step of this Character
 These expressions by the president. which are most kind toward me and most favorable toward my work. as well as the statement authorized by him defining his attitude toward the conservation policies with convincing clearness. I shall not resign, but shall remain in the government service. l shall give my best efforts in the future, as in the past, to promote the con serration and development of our forests, waters. lands and minerals. and to defend the conservation policies whenever the need arises. Especially l shall continue 10 advocate the con