New-York tribune., 1909-09-17
SECRETARY BALLINGER UPHELD.

The Presidents complete and emphatic exon
GRAFTON of Secretary Ballinger, not only from
the charges made against him by Special Agent
CLAWS but from all the aspersions east upon the
Secretary through the press bureau of another
branch of the federal service, will not surprise
those who have kept in touch with affairs at
Washington or who have the advantage of
knowing the able and high minded jurist at the
head OF the Interior Department.
Because Secretary Ballinger placed the re-
strictions imposed upon him by law above his
zeal for the conservation of the national re-
sources he has been made the object of a care
fully devised and shrewdly prosecuted cam
paign Of misrepresentation ever since he took
Office The CLAWS charges were merely an in
cident OF the effort TO discredit the Secretary,
eagerly seized upon by those who In the words
of Mr.. Taft, sought TO do Mr. Ballinger cruel
injustice" OF those charges. which arc both
diffuse and complex, IL is sufficient TO say that
Mr. Taft, after full and painstaking investiga-
ton. describes them as only shreds of suspi-
"cions, without any substantial evidence 10
sustain his attack. aud authorizes the dis
missaI of CLAWS for filing a disingenuOus
statement unjustly impeaching the integrity
'Of his superior officers
There are three other charges which have
been industriOusIy circulated in the effort 10
dscredit Secretary Balinger and with which
the President deals. They are worthy of notice
chiefly because they have been seized upon and
made the basis for numerous widely circulated
misrepresentation II is charged:
First that Mr.. Ballinger. revOking an order
of his predecessor. Mr.. Garfield. opened TO entry
one million five hundred thousand acres of the
public domain, thus exposing TO private ac-
quirement innumerable water power sites. and
that as a result. one water power company
with a capital OF sl0,O00.OOO. Immediately OBJ
tained vested rights in fifteen thousand acres.
thus absorbing all the valuable water power
sites in Montana: second. that Mr.. Ballnger
crippled the Reclamation Service which is ir
rigating the arid lands by abOlishing the so
called Garfield currency" issued To settlers in
payment for, work performed; third, that Mfr.
Balinger had struck serious blow at forest
preservation by abrogating the contract made
by Secretaries Garfield and Wilson whereby
the forests on Indian reservations were cared
for by the Bureau of Forestry.
The President disposes Of the first OF these
charges by showing that by revoking the Gar
field order and availing himself of more COM
plete information furnished TO him by the Geo
logical Survey Mr.. Ballinger was able 10 with
draw three hundred thousand acres. instead Of
million and half. and al the same time with
power sites than had been withdrawn by Mr..
Garfield on the less accurate information fur
nished him by the Reclamation Service. The
fifteen thousand acres alleged 10 have heen ac-
quired by the S1OOO0O00 company, and TO have
included ''all the valuable water power sites in
Montana" are resolved. on investigation by Mr..
Taft into 15S acres on which there are no
power sites.
AS for the second charge, the President de-
scribes the Garfield currency" scheme as "a
system for borrowing labor and material and
making the government debtor 10 intending
"settlers-a system which is inhibited by law
"and cannot but result in ultimate disaster"
Secretary .BaIlinger has announced his intention
OF redeeniing these pledges Of Indebtedness as
fast as there are means available in the rec
lamation fund President Taft signifies his
purpose 10 go further and ask Congress for
funds for their immediate redemption,
As for the order which WAS made the basis
for the third charge, the President shows that
Mr. Ballinger compelled 10 issue il by n
decision of the Controller of the Treasury that
! the Garfield Wilson agreement was contrary TO
law, the ruling Of the Controller being final and
without appeal even to the President" Mr. Taft
will ask Congress for authority TO continue the
arrangement which is in itself good, and that
is precisely the position taken by Mr.. Ballinger.