The evening times. [volume] (Grand Forks, N.D.) 1906-1914, 1909-08-31
0RMSBY M'HARG
TALKED TOO MUCH
Let Out Of Commerce and
Labor Department Because
of Interview.

Taft has accepted the resignation OF
Ormsby McHarg as assistant secretary
of commerce Following Immediately
upon the publication of an interview
with that official attacking the forest
service and reclamation service. the
presidents alton Is generally accepted
here as desire on the part of the
president to have the North Dakota
man out of the service. because Of the
row he has kicked up. The reports
from Beverly say that Mr.. McHarg
will retire September 4, next Saturday.
This date is merely an anticipation of
McHarg's desire. as the press dis
patches announced ten days ago that
he was to retire October 1, by ar
rangement with Secretary Nagel.
The president, however, has been a
consistent advocate of the settlement
of disputes in his official family with
as little friction as possible. Apparent
ly the Ballinger-Pinchot controversy
was in fair way Of being settled by
the president himself. following the
receipts of reports from the interior
department. But Mr.. McHarg. by max
ing the charges thai he did, reopened
the fight. with the president did not
like, and therefore he showed his dis
pleasure by anticipating the date of
McHarg's retirement by several
weeks.
The clash between Mr.. McHarg and
Mr.. Price. the assistant Of the forestry
service, is regarded here as bringing
to head matter in which the ad-
mtrers of Mr.. Roosevelt and his poll
tics are much concerned. For months
they have been greatly exercised over
whether there was not some disloyalty
in the Taft administration toward the
Roosevelt policiea."
President Tafts Course.
President Taft has not discussed
this matter with anyone for publlca-
tion. But when the insinuations were
made. by Mr.. CLAWS of the forestry
service that the law was being
stretched in the matter of the patent
ing coal lands in Alaska by Assistant
Secretary of the Interior Pierce, he
asked for all the facts and will take
up the matter just as soon as he has
all the data before him.
While 1t Is understood that the
president is satisfied that the charges
that have been made against officials
of the interior department do not af-
feet Secretary Ballinger or any men,
ber of his cabinet, his decision is OK
pected by the Roosevelt admirers to
be in favor of the forestry service and
against the officials of the interior.
On the other hand, it is fully expected
by the friends of Secretary Ballinger
that the president will sustain the gen.
eral. action Of the department in curb
ing the forestry service and in annul-
ing the act Of the forestry service in
Withdrawing the large amount Of pub
lie domain from entry in the last few
months of the Roosevelt administra-
ton.
The attacks which recently have
been made on the new head of the in
terror department, as they are UNDER
stood here, are not primarily because
there was haste Is the matter mainly
dwelt on. II is said that the real rea-
son is that Secretary Ballinger in his
investigations of the forestry service
and the irrigation service in the far
west has uncovered enough to make
him recommend to the president a
radical departure from the work as
it has been carried out during the
last four or five years. The Alaskan
coal lands matter. friends Of Secretary
Ballinger say, offered point of at
tack. But the purpose, they say, was
to force the issue between President
Taft and the Roosevelt policies.