Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1910-05-14
To Long and Short Haul Clause O
Railroad Bill, Which Passes Sc to
10--SchWartz Interesting Witness
In the ba|Inger Hearing.
SCHWARTZ TAKES BLAME.

Washington. May 13.-Full RESPONSE
bility for the clear listing" of the
Cunningham claims and the conduct
of those cases before the general land
Office was assumed by H. II. Schwartz.
chief of the field service who was a
witness before the Ballinger- Pinchot
Investigating committee. Mr. Schwartz
laid the blame for the delay in reach =
ing conclusion in the Alaskan cases
at the door of Mr.. CLAWS to whom he
had given full latitude for investigat
ing them. he said. He said Mr.. Bal
linger never took any initial action in
those eases and when he Clear listed
them, as commissioner Of the land Of
flee, he did so on his (Schwartz's 81
recommendation on the basis of the
report of Special Agent Love.
During the afternoon it became APP
parent that Mr.. Schwartz would
prove to be most interesting witness.
ATTORNEY Nertrees, counsel for Mr..
Ballinger, questioned him for several
hours and his ready answers and
quick wit kept the committee in an
uproar all the time
Mr.. Ballinger was excused from the
stand this morning with the under.
standing that he might be recalled for
further cross-examination later by
attorneys for the prosecution"
Immediately after the committee re-
convened after the luncheon recess,
Mr.. Schwartz took the stand and
traced the history of the Cunningham
claims from the time entry was made
While he was speaking of a meeting
he had with CLAWS in Seattle last
summer Mr.. Schwartz said they talk :
ed over several matters anG incident
ally discussed the well-known clash
between the land Office and the forcs-
try bureau. Mr.. Vertrees asked him to
explain to what he attributed the
quarrel.
There always will be friction ST
lorr as the forestry bureau and the lant
office are in two different departments
They should both be either in the depart
mcnt of agriculture or the interior de
partment and being in the interior de
pertinent" he added. with 2 smile :"
Think they should be in that depart
mont"
Schwartz said CLAWS requested him tc
send him special agent who was :
lawyer to assist him in the hearing OF
iHe 'EtSkan cases. lie said he was un
determined whether to SEND Sheridan OF
hnHpp, but finally determined to sent
Sheridan. because Knapp was from
New York and some of the magazines
like Golfers. might charge that he was
connected with the Guggenheims
Attorney Pepper tried today to show
mat the interior department was re
sponsible for the numerous complaints
against the forest service which Chair
man Nelson said had been received Ht
introduced a letter written by Don M
Carr, private secretary to Mr. Ballinger
Jan. 3 last, and printed as an advertise
ment in the Montgomery times of Noun
Ida, AriZ., advising the editor of the pa
pcr to transmit to Mr.. Nelson af4idayits
of nomesteaders who had made charges
of irregularities against the forest service
in letters to him.
Mr. Ballinger disaVowed any knoWl
edge of Mr.. Cars letter and offered f:
letter he sent to the editor of the paper
late last December, in response to one
letter notifying him of the complaints
he had received from homes leaders. II
this letter Mr.. Pallinger said the matter
was not within the jurisdiction of hi:
department.