The Washington herald., 1909-08-14

Whether the controversy between Sec
letary BallingeT OF the Interior Depart
ment and FORESTER Clifford Pinchot Of the
Department Of Agriculture results in any
scandal or not. Il Is already apparent
that the fight Is certain 10 give the Taft
administration a good deal Of trouble.
In gossip around Washington, promi-
nent names are used in connection with
water power monopolies' in the West
and "coaI land grabs in Alaska. Friends
o. Forester Pinchot declare he has his
fighting armor adjusted, and will stick TO
the limit. Subordinates in the Forest
Service declare that In no circumstances
will Mr.. Pinchot resign. They concede it
is possible. and even probable. that he
may be dismissed, but they add It would
be an admission that he was in the
wrong If he voluntarily relinquished his
commission as forester of the govern
Inent."
Mr.. Pinchot will not resign, nor Will
he alter his present course in support Of
the Roosevelt policy of conservation.
According 20 statements made AZ the
Interior Department yesterday. Secretary
Ballinger will adhere to his position that
the loose construction" Of the law that
prompted the previous administration 70
withdraw lands for the purpose of con-
servation shall give way TO ''strict con-
structon" Of the law.
One or other Must Go.
The issue therefore is Joined so far
as Ballinger and Pinchot are concerned.
and q is inevitable. according to officials
here. that one or the other and possibly
both. will be forced out Of the govern
ment service.
That Che Interior Department is alive 70
the seriousness Of the situation. was
indicated in a statement made public
at the Land Office. 1t Is intended as a
defense Of the administration OF secre-
tary Ballinger. The statement embraces
abstracts from the forthcoming annual
report OF the Commissioner Of the Gen
eral Land once, bearing upon criminal
cases. illegal entries. and other tres
passes. II follows
The annual report Of the General
Land Office upon field work on land mat
ters for the year ending June % is now
ready fo- the printers This covers what
is generally known as land fraud in
vestigation. The report shows that dur
ing the year there was an average of lE
special agents engaged in the investiga-
uons, and that the number on July l last
was 332.
During the year there was collected
In cash for coal and timber trespasses
and fines in criminal proceedings $4,000
upon cases reported by special agents. OF
this, $4,000 was in settlement for coal
trespass after suit brought. Since June
80. and not included in these totals a
further sum Of $4,000 was so collected.
There are Cancelled for fraud and Illegal
lty, 8,lS6 unpatented entries. having about
$4,000 acres; also Alaskan coal entries
were allowed 10 lapse IN the face Of spe-
cial agents Investigations.
Patents Vacated.
by proceedings in court of settle
ment thereof an even hundred patents
were vacated and 25.727 acres additional
restored 10 the public domain There
were also verdicts secured in 1Ol timber
trespass suits and s77.677 paid upon judg-
ment therefor. In the criminal cases
there were convictions OF "a for trespass.
b for conspiracy, 3 for perjury, "a for
unlawful Enclosures. and IS miscellaneous.
DEGREES were secured removing forty un-
lawful Enclosures.
''Tae total fines collected were S32. .Sg6
and twenty-slX prison sentences were i'm
posed. The office received 1.4n adverse
reports and f63 favorable reports upon
entries from the Forest Service. and Gus
adverse and roo favorable reports from
It's own agents. On appeals 90 the de-
partment on decisions cancellng entries
for fraud the land Office was sustained
In 10 cases and reversed in IS cases or
appealed cases 2SS were upon land office
cases and 16 on forest cases. wherein
the Office decided for the government. and
$50 special agent cases and forest cases
decided for defendant. Without suit and
upon demand OF agents 1854 acres un-
lawfully fenced were restored. Or July l
there remained 5000 cases awaiting field
Investigation.
THE large number Of cases still in the
fie.d includes all railroad sections in min
eral regions and ell right-Of-way and
power sites heretofore granted and not
yet reported upon by the field agents
Statistics OF right-Of-way and power sites
we're not kept prior TO the quarter ended
July I, and upon that date there were
pending for examination I'll such cases
practically all cases formally approved
and during that quarter reports were
received upon "a such cases favorably
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