Los Angeles herald. [microfilm reel] (Los Angeles [Calif.]) 1900-1911, 1910-03-13
ATTORNEY FOR
PINCHOT RACES
AT COMMITTEE
Chairman Accuses Coun-
sci of Trifling with
Senators
HOT CLASH RESULTS
ChiefEngineer Davis Con-
tradicts Statements by
BalIinger
LAssoclated Pressl

WI ASHINGTON, March ia
w sharp clash occurred between
W Senator Nelson, chairman of
the BaIlinger-P Pinchot committee, and
Attorney Pepper, counsel for Clifford
Pinchot, near the close of today's ses-
sion of the inquiry, when Mr. Nelson
accused the lawyer of "trifiing" with
the committee.
White with anger, Mr.. Pepper de-
manded to know if that was the
| Judgment of the committee, and when
several members exclaimed Let ii
pass!" he said a reflection which he
resented had been cast on him, and
he questioned the senator's right to
make such an accusation.
Mr.. Pepper was referring to several
| letters in the record in an endeavor to
have Chief Engineer Davis of the
reclamation service, who was on the
stand, refute several statements at
tributed to Secretary Ballinger to the
effect that restorations of certain lands
in the west to public entry after they
| had been withdrawn under Secretary
Garfield, had been made on recon-
mendations of the reclamation service.
/ Chairman Nelson said he thought 1t
was a waste of time to go over ground
| already covered and interposed an
objection to the reading of the letters.
| In each instance in which the ques-
tion was put the witness replied that
| Mr.. Balllnger had made q misstate-
ment.
"Now I have come to the point 1 was
after" said Attorney Pepper.
Davis Explains Statement
AT the conclusion of your direct ex.
animation this morning you said, 1
want IL understood that l do not wish
to insinuate in anything ] have said
that Secretary Ballinger has inten-
| tionalIy or consciously committed
wrong. l do not believe he has, VIII
you explain your statement more
| fully?"
Mr.. Davis said he merely meant to
| disclaim any intimation that Mr.. Bal
linger had committed wrong. He
referred only to his acts. he continued,
| and not his statements, for many or
them were wrong. He did not indi-
cate whether he thought Mr.. Balilnger
! had Intentionally or consciously
madeta misstatement.
Mr.. Davis concluded his testimony
before the committee today and was
excused at the end of the afternoon
session. He fatty contradicted Secre-
tary Ballinger in several statements
| and said they did not agree on many
reclamation matters, although both
had been and, he hoped, still were
good friends.
Contradlcts Ballnger
Attorney Pepper read into the rec
ord a letter recently addressed to the
house committee on waysA and means
| by Secretary Ballinger in support OF
| the $4,000 900 bond issue for reclama-
ton work. In this latter Secretary
Ballinger spoke of the hardships which
| 10 of the
projects where cooperation agreements
had been entered into by former Sec
retary Garfield. He also claimed tnat
| Inducements had been held out to set
tiers to come on the land, and that at
Toluca, Mont. there had been erected
a large sign board inviting settlers TO
come there. This sign included the
| statement:
"settlers can work out their pay
ments."
Ballinger said he ordered this part
of The sign painted over.
Davis contradicted practically every
statement in the Ballinger letter. He
said he was with Ballinger when he
saw the sign; that no orders had been
given to paint out the words, and that
up to a few days ago they had not been
painted out.
The witness said there had been no
cooperative agreements or certhcates
at Toluca; that no such signs had been
erected anywhere else, and that no un-
due inducement had ever been mace 70
settlers to go into the cooperative
work.
At Toluca the reclamation work had
been completed and there was more
water available than land under culti-
walton. The lands were public, and 1t
was decided that they should be taken
UP.
Tells of "BIack Tent" Affair
The witness related the so-called
"black tent" Sffair. He said that un-
der orders of Secretary Ballinger, f.. L,
Perkins of the Chicago office of the
reclamation service went through the
west lecturing in a. black tent TO au-
vertise reclamation Work.
1t came to the attention of service
officials that Perkins, in addition to
getting salary of $4,000 year, was
J receiving an allowance of $500 montn
from the Hartman railway lines. The
Hill lines protested that Perkins was
coming into their territory and lectur-
ing about projects on the Hartman
lines.
) Mr.. Davis said Perkins proved his
fidelity to the Hartman lines by ship
j.. ping SO per cent of material from chi
oago to Mexa, Ariz., where the recla
nation service has been engaged in
project, by way of the Hartman nnes
which made the longest and most ex
pensive route.
Davis said he recommended Perkins
dismissal. Director Newell did no
: agree to this at first, but later wrote
to Perkins and in ''polite" way re-
auested his resignation. Secretary Bal
linger reprimanded Newell for inter
fering in a matter which was being
personally conducted by himself.
Engineers Dissatisfied
| At the beginning of the /. Afternoon
, session Mr. Davis told of the dissatis
| faction existing among the engineer
of the reclamation service. because o
the unsympathetic attitude of tn
present secretary of the interior II
falling to promote them, although rec
| commended for promotion by the su
pervising engineers.
He said that on one occasion he hat
a hard time preventing all the engi
? neers in the service from resigning II
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