The citizen. (Honesdale, Pa.) 1908-1914, 1909-09-17

against Ballinger that Pinchot talked
of in his speeches on the Pacific coast
CLAWS is discharged for filing a disin.
genuous statement unjustly impeach.
ing the official integrity of his supe'
rior officers.
The president specifically eXonerates
Secretary Ballinger from the charge OF
using his office for personal ends, reit
crates his interest in the conservation
of natural resources and expresses
confidence that Ballinger also has con
servation as one Of his principal poll
cies.
The president says he agrees with
the secretary of the interior that con.
servation must be carried on within
the law, indicating clearly that in his
opinion Pinchot has been going beyond
the law in reclamation of land. He
says he will ask from congress legisla.
tion that will simplify the work OF
reclamation. Part of his letter on the
CLAWS charges Is as follows:
On the 18th day of August last Mr.. L.
r. CLAWS, chief of field division of the
general land Office, with headquarters at
Seattle, WASH. called upon me and sub.
mitted a report relating to the conduct
of the interior department. and particu.
larly to the action of yourself, Assistant
Secretary Pierce, Commissioner of the
General Land Office bennett and Chief OF
Field Service Schwartz in reference to
the so called Cunningham group of coal
land claims In Alaska.
Mr.. Claws report does not formulate
his charges against you and the others,
but by insinuation and innuendo as well
as by direct averment he does charge
that each one of you while a public Of
ficer has taken steps to aid the Cunning
ham claimants to secure patents based
on claims that you knew or have reason
to believe to be fraudulent and unlawful.
The whole record shows that Mr.. CLAWS
was honestly convinced of the illegal
character Of the claims in the Cunning.
ham group and that he was seeking evil
denoe 70 defeat the claims. But it also
shows that there was delay on his part
In preparing the evidence with which to
bring this. with other claims to hearing
and that Justice to the claimants tequir-
ed more speedy action than the depart
msnt through MT. Claws. seems to have
taken
The reading OF the whole record leaves
no doubt that In his zeal TO convict your
self, Acting Secretary Pierce. Commits
sioner Bennett and Mr.. Schwartz he did
not give me the bensAt OF information
WnlcR 10 NdA ttdC NNOuAQ nave thrown
light on the transactions, showing them
to be consistent with an impartial atti-
tude on your part toward the claims In
question.
You are therefore authorized to dis
miss l. X. CLAWS from the service of the
government for fling a dIsingenuous
statement unjustiy impeaching the Of
fetal integrity OF hts superior officers.
Turning TO the Ptnohot controversy,
prpaidonf ITO ~ M no,
Another instance IN your conduct OF the
department which has been mentioned
as indicative OF your purpose 10 block the
general plan OF Conservation OF national
resources is your refusal to carry out a
contract made In the last adminIstra.
ton between the secretary of ths inte.
rioT and the secretary OF agriculture, by
which the interior department delegated
TO the forestry bureau OF the agricultural
department the power and duty to con.
serve the forests on the Indian reserva.
tons.
Your dsclination 70 carry out the con.
tract was made necessary By a ruling OF
IAa -AQMptxoller lhat such an ARRANGE.
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