The Cairo bulletin. (Cairo, Ill.) 1???-1928, 1909-09-16
BALL|NC[R IS
UPHELD BY TAT
PRESIDENT REFuTEs CHARGES
OF CLAWS AGAINST THE
SECRETARY. =
CUNNINGHAM CLAIMS
Proper Manner, Says Taft in
Letter TO Ballinger-Has
Faith in Secretary.

Albany Sept ia letter from
President Taft to Secretary Ballinger,
written before tie fres dent left Bev-
erly. was given out fcsc toni sht. In
il TAFT announced ts,ts findings upon
the charges against the cona:ct af
the interior department " T., r.
Claws, chief Of the rcld division OF
the general land oTieo in correction
with the Cunningham coal an Claim
in Alaska. Taft eXonofatf Iatline. E
and observes that Claws eaae cnl-
braced only the sarAls Of s-epici5n
without substantial evidence
The president grants Ballinger's re-
quest for authority to dismiss CLAWS
for rniustlr impeaching the official
integrity of his superior officer" and
reviews the evidence in the so-cn'ied
water power trust and other cases
to refute the charges that the seHre-
tary of the interior is out OF sympathy
with the policy Of the administration
n favor Of the conservation Of
natural resources.
Taft says "The record shows that
IN his zeal to convict yoursef. Acting
Secretary Pierce, Commissioner Dem
net and Mr.. Schwartz, CLAWS didn't
give me the benefit Of information
that would throw light on the trans
actions, showing them consistent with
the impartial attitude on your rat
toward the claims in question. The
evidence with respect To which Won
were consulted as attorney was not
occurred BY Claws until after Your
lresignntion as commissioners in the
General land office
| "The second inference bn CLAWS is
sat gQa. aasg9 i.epFop0nlf since he-
oning secretary Of the interior with
reference to the Cunningham case.
vour only action which could affect
the Cunningham claims was Your or.
ler that the thirty thousand claims
Ipending in the land office be pressed
to fnat ltigUusitUtr trttrt +aae included
1.-THE 10 Cunningham claims. AS such
expedition was essential both to pub
lie interest ami the claimants 1t could
hardly be said to be action In the
| Cunningham claims The statement
/ that You used influence in favor OF
Ithe Cunningham claims Is rnsnp-
Inorted by the evidence
Concerning the charge that BalliH-
Ger was out Of sympathy with the
Hosevet-Taft policy in favor OF CON
servatlon Of national resources, es-
lrecially in connection with coal lands.
water power sites and the reelama-
ton of arid lands. Taft reviews the
circumstances of various far western
controversies and BaIlinger's official
acts IN connection with such cases
at length and says
The persons responsible for these
charges have done gou cruel ia
Justice The laws fundamental man
late is that no reclamation project
shall be entered upon until there Is
| money in the reclamation fund to pav
for the part contracted for I'm as.
sured that the work of reclamation
$ being carried on wherever funds
ore valuable with all dispatch pos
sible. hope you'll report to con
gress exactly what has been done,
what ought to be done and what
legislation is needed to further th 3
great work.
"He Is the best friend Of the con
lservation policy who insists that
every step taken be buttgessed BY
legal authority From everything
have known respecting the conduct
Of your department | am able to say
YOU fully sympathize with the atti
tude Of this administration in favor
Of the conservation Of national re.
sources"