The Mitchell capital. (Mitchell, Dakota [S.D.]) 1879-1918, 1909-09-23
FINDS FOR BALLlaeER.

FINDS FOR BALLlneER
President Taft Issues Statement Con-
corning the BallingerPinchot
Unpleasant Controversy.
Albany, Sept. ia letter from
Taft to Secretary Ballinger. written
before the president left Beverly. was
given out here last night. In it Taft
announced his findings upon the
charges against the conduct of the
interior department by L. r. CLAWS,
chief of the field division of the gen
eral land Office, in connection with
the Cunningham coal land claims in
Alaska. Taft %exonerates Ballinger and
observes that the CLAWS case embrac-
ed only "shreds of suspicion without
substantial evidence"
The president grants Ballinger's
request for authority to dismiss Ola
Wis for unjustly %impeaching the Off
cial integrity of his superior officer"
and re ..sws the evidence in the So
called ,..ter power trust" and 9TH
er cases, to refute the charges that
the secretary of the interior is out
of sympathy with the policy of the adj
ministration in favor of conservation
of natural Taft says:
CLAWS was Unfair.
THE record shows that in his zeal
to convict yourself, Acting Secretary
Pierce, Commissioner bennett. and
Mr.. Schwartz, CLAWS did not give me
the benefit of information that would
would have thrown light on the trans
actions and showing them to be con-
sistent with an impartial attitude on
your part toward the claims in Ques-
ton. The evidence with respect to
which you were consulted as attorney
was not secured by CLAWS until after
your resignation as commissioner. of
the general land Office.
THE second inference by CLAWS is
that you acted improperly since be-
coming secretary of the interior with
reference to the Cunningham claims
cases. Your only action which could
affect Cunningham claims was your
order that the thirty thousand claims
pending in the land Office be pressed
to final disposition and this included
the nineteen Cunningham claims. AS
such expedition was essential both to
the public interest and the claimants
1t could hardly be said to be action
in the Cunningham claims. The state
ment that you used your influence to
favor the Cunningham claims is UNI
supported by the evidence"
Ballinger in Sympathy.
Concerning the charge that Ballin-
ger is out of sympathy with the
Roosevelt-Taft. policy in favor of
conservation of national resources,
especially in connection with coal
water power sites and reclama-
ton of arid lands, Taft reviews the
circumstances of various far western
controversies and Ballinger's official
acts in connection with such cases at
length and says:
The persons responsible for these
charges have done you cruel injustice
The laws fundamental mandate is
that no reclamation project shall be
entered upon until there is money in
the reclamation fund to pay for the
part contracted for. 4 am assured that
the work of reclamation is being car
|ried on wherever funds are available
with all dispatch. l hope you will re
port to congress exactly what has
been done, what ought to be done and
what legislation is needed to further
this great work.
HE is the best friend Of onser
walton policy who insists that every
step taken is buttressed by legal au-
thority. From everything l know re-
specting the conduct of your depart
ment, l am able to say you r fully
in sympathy with the attitude Of this
administration in favor of conserva-
ton Of national resources"
The Road to Success.
has many Instructions, but none 81
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