Norwich bulletin., 1909-08-30
SaidSharpThings
About Roosevelt
IN CONNECTION WITH HIS POLL
cY OF FOREST CONSERVATION.
Mr.. M'HARG'S RESIGNATION
As Assistant Secretary of the Depart
ment of Commerce and Labor Will
Be Accepted-What McHarg Said.

Beverly, Mass. Aug. 29.-The resig-
nation of Ormsby McHarg, assistant
secretary of the department of COM
merce and labor, will be accepted.
Secretary Nagel, head of the depart
ment, had an extended conference with
President Taft this afternoon and dis
cussed with the chief executive the
question of a successor to Mr.. McHarg.
Secretary Nagel received a letter from
the assistant secretary today saying
that he must adhere to his first in
tention of remaining in the department
only for a period of six months. This
term of duty will expire Sept. 4, and
by that time Secretary Nagel hopes
to be ready to announce the choice of
a new assistant. Mr.. McHarg an
nounced some time ago that he soon
would leave the government service to
engage in private business. In his let
ter to Secretary Nagel today he re-
minds him of his intention to leave the
service, but says that if a successor
cannot be found by Sent. he will
continue in office until Oct. 1.
Spoke His Mind Rather Forcibly.
There was no one in Beverly today
willing to say that Mr.. McHarg's res
ignation was in any wise the result of
the interview with him published in
Washington last week in which the
assistant secretary is credited with
having said some rather sharp things
about former President Roosevelt and
his policy of forest conservation.
Mr.. McHarg is reputed to have said
that the policy of conservation out
lined by President Roosevelt was too
dreamlfke ever to be of practical value
and that only ''the Lord himself could
have carried it out. Mr.. McHarg fur
ther was represented as having said
| that perhaps Mr.. Roosevelt thought
himself equal to the Worker of Mira
cles.
No Tempest in a Teapot.
Assistant Secretary McHarg is said
to have grown quite bitter over the
free manner in which some of the
government officials in Washington,
generally known as the Roosevelt ele-
| ment' have been criticising members
of the Taft administration. Conse-
quently he is reported to have express
ed his own views in rather a forciple
manner and the controversy started
by Chief Forester Pinchot with the
secretary of the interior, Mr.. Ballinger,
is declared here to be growing to such
proportions that the president will
have to take hand in it and put the
government house at Washington in
order. Mr.. Taft has been reluctant
to take official cognizance of the con-
troversy which started at the irriga-
tion congress in Spokane, continued
through the trkns- mississippi confer
ence at Denver and since then has
been waged with more or less inten-
sity at the national capital. The
president had hoped that the whole
affair was a tempest in a teapot which
soon would simmer down without any
action on his part. 1t seems now.
however, as though he would have to
take a hand in the tangle and straight
en- it out
Pinchot BaIIinger Controversy.
In addition to the secretary of the
interior. President. Taft had with him
this afternoon the secretary of state,
Mr.. Knox, and the secretary of the
navy, Mr.. Meyer. 1t is said that the
Pinchot- Ballinger controversy had a
large share in the deliberation of the
cabinet conference. President Taft
has no engagement to see Secretary
Ballinger earlier than just prior to his
arrival in Seattle Sept. 29 Mr.. Bal
linger has been invited and has -ac-
cepted an invitation to accompany the
president on a large part of the Iatter's
Pacific coast itinerary The invitation
was extended prior to the outbreak of
the controversy and has no especial
significance. 1t will offer an oppor-
tunity, however unless an earlier one
is taken, for Mr.. Ballinger to lay his
side of the controversy before the
president.
Presidents Policy Has Been to Uphold
Cabinet Members.
In all matters affecting the depart
ments under the control of cabinet
officers it has been the presidents pol
icy to uphold the cabinet members un-
failinglI. Secretary Nagel tecently
had a controversy with the former
director of the census, S. N. d. North
There were many predictions at the
time that Director North would be up
held. President Taft, however ap-
proved the course of his cabinet min
lister and Mr.. North's resignation was
accepted.
Friends of Secretary Ballinger are
drawing a parallel from this episode
to fit the present controversy and say
that while MIR. Pinchot. a hold over
from the Roosevelt administration. is
a most valued public servant and is
highly esteemed by President Taft, if
he has set himself Unalterably against
a superior officer there is littIs doubt
of the presidents course in the mat
ter.
The president. while refusing abso-
lutely to discuss the Pinchot- Ballinger
controversy in any way has intimatcd
to friends that he hopes no drastic
action will be necessary.