Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1909-09-10
Will co OVER PAPERS
Attorney General Will Reply to
CLAWS Charges.
NO IMMEDIATE ACTION
Wickersham Summoned to Beverly
by President.
MAY STILL PUBLIC AGITATION
Chief Executive Tired Of Discussion
Regarding the Administration of
the Government Lands.

retary Ballingers exhibit to the President
on behalf Of Interior Department officials
In the Claws charges was the summon
ing Of the Attorney General to Beverly
and handing the whole case over to the
Department Of Justice. Attorney General
Wickersham is expected at Beverly to-
morrow and will take all the papers in
the case. including the Claws charges
and the responses Of Secretary Ballinger
and tie several officials of the depart
ment.
While the President is in the west At
torney General Wicke-sha,n and his corps
Of assistants will go over the papers.
The President will in the meantlEs bs in
touch with the larger features of the geZ-
eral issue between Ballinger and Pinchot,
SO that by the time he gets back to Wash
ington he win be in position to take ac-
ton in the specific and general questions
involved.
In official circles speculation is divided
over the significance of the Presidents s
turning the Cunningham cases over to
the Department of Justice. On one side
1t Is said that this action is merely in line
with President Taft's desire to sift the
affair thoroughly, without haste and with
out prejudice to any one. On the other
1t is intimated that the President may
have found the CLAWS charges serious
enough to warrant closer investigation
and not fully answered by the responses
OF the Interior Department officials.
May Quiet Discussion.
It is pointed out. however, that one
result should follow this action. namely
the stilling of public discussion of the
Cunningham and Pinchot- Ballinger cases
while the investigation is pending. This
is devoutly desired by the President.
who is known to be heartily sick of the
whole business, and the bandying OF
charges back and forth through the
press.
find Mr.. Pinchot already on the scene.
Denver or Seattle. The President viii
talk with all sorts and conditions OF
men about. the. conservative policy, he
will come across all shades OF opinion
and will get. his information and i'm
pressions at first hand.
It is regarded as significant coin
cidence that Postmaster General Hitch
cock will be attending a postal conven-
tion on the coast about the same time.
The significance arises from the fact that
Mr.. Hitchcock is still the President s
closest political adviser and the addi-
tional fact that this Pinchot-Ballinger
row is loaded with political dynamite.
Every official and politician in Washing
ton is aware Of the politics underneath
the surface of the controversy, and OF
the necessity for some skilful handling
and sailing close to the wind.
To Stop Issue Of Scrip.
Secretary Ballinger has won another
fall out of the Roosevelt-Pinchot policies
in a decision by the Attorney General
putting the screws down tight on the
former plan Of issuing scrip in the recla-
nation projects. Secretary Ballinger has
announced that. acting on the advice of
the Attorney General, he will not ap-
prove any more certificates issued by the
reclamation service, and that he will re-
deem in cash. as rapidly as funds become
available, the certificates now outstand-
ing, which are said to amount to some
$500, 900.
The effect Of this decision is to substi-
tute a strictly legal procedure in the
reclamation work for one that was con-
Sidered beneficial. though not actually
warranted by law or specifically prohib-
tied by law. The practical working out
of the decision will be, 1t Is said. to de-
lay the extension Of irrigation projects
until there is actual cash on hand to
carry them out.
Settlers Must Wait.
Under the old plan. settlers who had
located on lands to be irrigated ulti-
mately. but which for the time being had
not been reached by the main canal. put
in work on the lateral bitches to bring
the water from the main canal to their
farms, receiving in payment certlncates
which were redeemable in their payments
to the government for their land From
now on these farmers will have to stand
pat on their desert farms until the main
canal gets to them.
The Interior Department. under the At
torney Generals ruling. will follow the
strict letter of the law, and 1t Is this
policy, as against wider latitude in be-
half Of the spirit of the undertaking.
which brings the issue between Ballinger
and Pinchot. and between the Roosevelt
conservationists and the Taft administra-
tion Of the conservation and reclamation
laws.
POISON SUSPECTED.