The Guthrie daily leader. [volume] (Guthrie, Okla.) 1893-1996, 1909-12-10
WITH SUGGESTIONS ON
RESOURCE CONSERVATION
Wants to F9TestaII Demand
For an Investigation
By Congress
(Assoclatcd Press)


Washington, Dec l0.- Presdenl
Taft's next message will deal with the
policy Of conserving the National re-
sources OF the country. incidentally
it is understood to be the present In.
tentlon OF the President to make the
document so strong an exoneralion Of
Secretary Ballinger hat the palling
r-Pinchot controversy will be brought
I'd an end, and II there is any further
disposition 10 crticisc Mr. Balling
en- the criticism must be directed at
the President as well.
While this probably viii not have
the effect Of ending the discussion
as TO the most effective method of
conserving the public resources. Il
may have The effect, at least. Of ST.
loncing men employed in the public
service who have heretofore been out.
spoken In their protests against what
has been termed ~Ballingcrism.
To Forestall Opponents
The reason the President will get
This message off his hands next is
tilat some congressman have already
demanded an investigation of Mr. BAL.
linger's administration, aud the Pros
ident wants to present the record, as
II appears TO his administration. be-
fore the discussion Is started in eth
er house.
His recommendations, 1t is under
stood, will accord very generally with
those presented by Mr. Ballinger in
his annual report
Should the Ballingeg-Pnchot affair
reach a full and free Investigation at
the hands Of congress, two interest,"
ing sides OF the controversy will come
to light. One of the results of such
an investigation would be to piece
blame on former Secretary Garfield
for the character OF his land with
drawals.
Criticisms OF Garfield
Secretary Ballinger's friends say. 1t
can be shown that In some instances
Garfield witL1ieE powersite lands
which were not subject to withdrawal.
having been previously entered by
private parties and that therefore MT
Ballinger restored these lands TO en-
try.
II Is also contended that Il can be
shown that IN other important with
drawals the Withdrawals missed the
power sites entirely. being LOO far
away from the river. aud that Mr..
Ballinger restored these lands also
and then withdrew the real power site
lands.
The critics OF Secretary Ballnger OK
plain these mistakes in this manner.
They declare hat after the election,
and while it was still believed that
the Incoming President was In thor
ough accord with the purposes OF
Mr. Roosevelt, ii was generally under
stood that James r. Garfield was TO
be continued as secretary Of the in-
terror after NJ Taft had succeeded
Mr.. Roosevelt, and that Mr.. Roosevelt
so understood ii, as did Mr.. Garfield.
Mr.. Roosevelt shocked"
The Information that, instead OF
Garfield, Ballinger was to be places
In charge of the great conservation
work Is declared 10 have come 10 Mr.
Roosevelt himself as q distinct shock
he having tried Mr.. Ballinger one year
as commissioner OF the land office.
II is explained that Il was then
that Roosevelt decided upon the
wholesale Withdrawal from entry Of
watefpower sites wherever they were
known or suspected ~ exist upoa the
public domain In order that his pur-
pose might be made sufficiently plain
end that II would be difficult to undo
his work. at least without causing
some pUtlc protest
II is contended that ia the haste Of
this work Secretary Garfield and
Chief Forester pinchol probably made
some grave errors IN the selections Of
tho land which they Withdrew.