The Spokane press. [volume] (Spokane, Wash.) 1902-1939, 1909-08-14
CONTINUED from page y

stand of the Ballinger forces in
fight in which they had been con
sistently defeated.
The publication of story b,
The Press in which it was state,
that power sites in Montana ha,
been lost to the people through
the restoration by Ballinger of tn
land withdrawn by Garfield ant
Roosevelt, started the fight which
the friends of Ballinger had beef
preparing for. They had expected
to make an attack on Pinchot anl
Newell, but were put on the de
fensive.
Ballinger spoke. on Wednesday
afternoon and the delegates were
primed. with questions to ask him
He did what not even his support
ers expected him to do. After he
had read a speech In which he de
clared in q general way that he
was d friend of conservation, he
was asked one question by a dele
gate. Then he picked up his hat
hustled into a waiting automobile
and hurried to his hotel. Everyone
was disappointed. Ten minutes is
allotted to each speaker for dis,
cussion after his speech, and Bal
linger had not stayed to answer
questions as all the rest had done
Later that same day former Gov.
ernor Pardee of California opened
a broadside against Ballinger. He
declared that the secretary of the
interior. through his rulings, had
favored corporate interests against
the people, and had overthrown
the Roosevelt policies. The con
vention sat aghast, and at the
mention of Roosevelt's name cheer
ed wildly.
Ballinger issued statement
that night denying that any water
power sites had been taken up, and
the next day had George Otis
Smith. director of the United
States geological survey, read two
kilograms to the congress for him
He left town Wednesday night
The kilograms read by Smith were
from the general land office at
Washington and from the Helena
land office. The telegram from
Washington declared that but one
filing of scrip had been made on
June IL. and that it had been pro-
tested. The telegram from Helena
declared that no filings had been
made. Smith declared that nc
filings had been made between the
time the land was thrown open on
April Z and the time some was
withdrawn again by Ballinger.
To this Pardee replied giving the
names and dates of the filings at
Bozeman. The land filed upon was
for 1853 and $500 acres and was
filed In the name of George L.
Ramsey. 1t was filed by the Col
Inns land company. Pardee de-
clared thatthe man who took the
records from the books at Boze-
man was in the hall and would sub
stantiate his statement. He would
not be pinned down to dates. he
said. The question was whether
land for water power purposes had
been taken after Ballinger re.
stored the land that could not
have been taken up under Secre.
tary Garfield. Pardee was wildly
cheered Cried of "Hit them
again were heard all over the
hall.
Pardee then called attention to a
selection of so acres in section 20
range 4 north 3 east on the Mis-
souri, river in Montana, made by
the Northern Pacific company by
lieu selection scrip on May 5. The
land had been withdrawn by Gar
field and restored by Ballinger.
Attorney Turner declared thai
the land could not have been en-
tered on that date because it would
not be subject to entry under the
law so soon after it had been re
stored, and Pardee read from &
copy of a letter endorsed by Bal
linger ordering the land restored
Immediately without the formalit.
of advertising its restoration.
Pardee. then called attention t.
land office entry numbered 0255.
recorded on the records of tn,
land office at Billings, Mont, IL
which the Northern Pacific com
pany had selected 1854 and 81
acres of land along the Yellow
stone river. The land embraces al
the odd sections lying north of The
Yellowstone on townships 2 ant
3, north range % east 1t is valu
able for the development of watel
power and was withdrawn by Gar
field and restored again by Balm
ger on April 16. The land was Ell
tered by railroad lieu scrip OF
May 25.
1t was not question of acreage
declared Pardee. The land hat
been taken which Garfield ha,
withdrawn to protect the people
from the trust.
Later a. statement by Acting
Commissioner of the Land Offic,
Schwartz, and by Ballinger, reach
ed here by wire. They admittet
that Ramsey had filed 1853 1910,
acres by scrip on the Missouri riv
er. They claimed that the lant
was valuable for sheep watel