The San Francisco call., 1909-11-08
BALI|NCfR MAKES
PUBLIC H|S POLICY
Secretary Explains Why lie Re.
voked GarfieId's Order With
drawing Great Tracts
Argues That His Predecessor
Would Have Found Same
Action Necessary

WASHINGTON, Nov. 7.-Secretary
Ballinger's widely discussed revocation
of the famous Garfield order" with
drawing from settlement a million and
a half acres of public lands and the
substitution therefor of a withdrawal
order Withholding from settlement
100000 acres today was declared by
Ballinger to have been wholly promo
tive-not subversive-of the conserya-
tion policy.
A lengthy explanation of his can
collation. of the Garfield Withdrawn
was given to the press by Ballinger'
who asserted that it was a logical step
in the prosecution of the policy OF con-
serving the water power on the fed
eral domain and one which Garneld
must have taken himself had he re-
mained in Office.
"The first order was blanket With
drawal issued to meet the emergency
and without taking time TO ascertain
just where the power sites were
located Secretary Ballinger said. IN
telligent prosecution of the policy de
nanded that as soon as possible there
after the sites be located and the ianos
not needed to protect them be restored
TO entry 1t would be an unwarranteo
reflection on Secretary GARFIELD to as
sumo that he would not have done pre-
cisely what did, ascertain as soon as
practicable where the power sites were
actually located and issue new order
withdrawing them from settlement ana
restoring to entry all lands not needeo
for that purpose.
LOCATED POWER SITES
4 ~ rttsi geo.
logical survey instead of the reclama :
ton service. which had been employed
by my predecessor, I could secure ac-
curate information as to the location OF
the power sites. On consultation with
the legal officers OF my department l
found that ] could make withdrawal
orders retroactive. that is, that / could
issue withdrawal orders later that
would effectually protect any power
sites within any entries which might
have been made in the interim. The
retroactive provision of the subsequent
Withdrawals operated completely to
conserve the sites.
Not a single power site has passed
out of the possession of the government
during this administration.
LAS matter of fact, the withdrawals
ordered by me protected 90 per cent
more power sites than were conserved
bv the Garfield order. This implies no
criticism of the Garfield order and
merely shows that the Garfield order
was tentative.
AVOIDED MAKING ENEMIES
MY first withdrawal order was dated
May 4, 1909, and the last which in
cluded many of the lands formerly
withdrawn, June 10. 1909; but each of
these orders contained the language
All existing claims, filings and entries
are temporarily suspended. AS mat
ter of fact, there was not a single fling
made on a power site during the in
term. On the other hand. the restora
tfen to entry of over a million acres OF
land not needed to protect the power
sites allayed widespread discomfort and
thus avoided unnecessarily making
enemies for the conservation policy
Since June 10 / have made 25 addi-
tional Withdrawals in entirely new ter
ritory.'
Secretary Ballinger stated that his
orders of withdrawal do not protect
power sites within forest reservations
and added in explanation that previous
ly he had offered to include power sites
on forest reservations, but that the
offer was declined on the ground that
the forest service could take care of
such sites. The secretary asserted that
a number of factors caused the course
to be misunderstood and misrepresent-
ed. but some of these he was not at
liberty to discuss.
Garfield Will Not Criticise
CLEVELAND, Nov. 7.-Discussing
Ballingers statement, former Secretary
James r. Garfield said tonight that he
would not comment on his successor 8
actions or attempt to criticise them
LAS for Bailinger's statement that I