Daily Arizona silver belt., 1910-01-18
In The Halls of Congress
BY TAV.
Special Washington Correspondence.


 In the Balnger- Pinchot controversy the ene- mics of conservation of natural resources have used and are still using, President Taft as a cat paw to strike down those government eIn- ployes who have resolutely stood in the way of the patenting of fraudulent land claims.
 No one of course, believes that Mr. Taft would knowingly protect men using illegal meth ods of securing government lands Yet the fact remains that at least unconsclously, the presl- dent has aided conservation foes through allow ing certain advisers to incite him to drive from the public service nearly every man who stood out in the foreground in the fight against the land and timber thieves.
 Not since there has been a conservation move ment have conditions been so propitous for land and timber thieves to get in their work as now. The few adherents of Pinchot and Roosevelt that remain in the government service have had their usefulness to the people completely de- stroyed by the moral contained in the object les sons they have just witnessed. President Taft's 'gag" order, issued to prevent every govern ment employe save secretaries of departments from giving information, even to members of congress, is not necessary. The feeling of the average employe in Washington today is that if he should see underhandedness or fraud, and should reveal 1t, his position would not be worth five cents.
 The dismissal of Clifford Pnchot as head of the forestry bureau marked the climax of sys- tematic fight that the land thieves have carried on for two years to get control of the United States land office The first important victory won by the enemies of the conservation move ment was when they succeeded in having con inta ence at the hands of the United States secret service This occurred during the Roosevelt ad- ministraton The secret service men had been hot on the trail of the land thieves, investigating and exposing every fraudulent claim. Hundreds of thousands of acres of lands were restored to the people as a result of the activity of the se- cret service operators. Large sums were i'm posed in fines on offenders, and some of them were sent to prison.
 A number of men who feared and resented the activity of the secret service appealed in terror to their representatives in congress 'call off your detectives" The appropriation committee of the house, dominated by Tawney of Minneso- ta and Smith of Iowa, responded to the call for help. They fixed it so that secret service men who performed any duty save in connection with the treasury department and the protecting of the president could not legally draw their salary from the government.
 The calling off of the secret service, however, did not give the land thieves the completeness of immunity that they wished. Pinchot, Glavis and others interposed themselves between the land thieves and the patenting of their fraudu- lent claims. Glavis, in particular, proved a genius at ferreting out frauds. He saved to the people some thirty three coal claims in Alaska, containing 63,OOOOOO long tons of coal by actual survey.
 A movement was started to "get" Glavis. Finally an excuse was fonnd, and Glavis was re- tired to private life. No one profted by his dis