The Barre daily times. (Barre, Vt.) 1897-1959, 1910-03-05
Crosse Examination IN Land
Hearing Demands More
IN BALLINGER CHARGES
Personal knowledge Asked Of the Wit.
ness--The Latter Replies by Tell
ing Of Letter to the
President.

Washington, March 5.-The eross-ex.
animation Of clifford Pinchot proceeded
slowly before the congressional investl.
eating committee yesterday.
Mr.. vertrecs, counsel for Secretary
Bsllinger, and air. Pinchot got into long
arguments as to the meaning OF some
81 the lawyers questions. They also
argued almost continuously as to infer.
snces to be drawn from documentary sv.
idence.
Dir. Vertrees did draw from the wit
meas the fact that bis only first. hand
knowledge Of any act rejecting upon Mr..
Ballinger IN connection with the Gun.
ningham cases was based on the letter
sent BY Mr.. Ballinger to President Taft
on November l5
Mr. Pinchot denied that either he Or
any Of his people owned stock in tie
pocahontas Coal company. He said that
up 10 the time Ne sent CLAWS to Presi
dent Taft, Mr. Ballinger's views as 70
conservation were different from his
own.
Then you we're unfriendly3'
4 distrusted his policies and what
he would do
Referring 70 his testimony that Mr.
Ballinger as commissioner Of the land
Office protested against the creation Of
the Chug9ch forest n Alaska in which
some Of the Cunningham claims are 10.
Gated, Mr.. Pinchot said he had never read
Mr.. Ballinger's letter and did not know
what reason. he gave in The letter.
Mr. Pinehot declared that while the
letter had been on Gle with the commit
tee for some time. 4 regulation o. the
committee permitting counsel only to
examine the documents had prevented bis
reading it Long discussion eusued as
to tho modification Of the rule. but The
matter was put over for discussion in
executive session.
Nj pinchot was asked to read the
letter. When be had concluded Mr. Yer.
rees asked;
Does that letter Indicate hostility to
the general policy Of conservation
alu my Judgment it does"
Point ont q single statement to that
elect
Mr. Pinohot said the whole thing had
to be taken together.
The witness was asked il it was not
known ehen MI. Garfield withdrew tbe
huge tracts Of land for water power sites
that nine.tenths Of the lands 50 with
drawn were not needed and would have
to be restored
STR Pinehot frankly stated that Il
had been bis policy to withdrew lands
for forest ranger stations when they
were not needed for that purpose but
they were withdrawn to protect possible
power sites
$50 that was your policy and Score
larry Garfeld'sT
Yes and President RooseveIt's and
Secretary Wilson'S
Mr Yertrees spent some time with The
witness as to the charge that Mr.. Bal
finger had deceived tie president regard
ing an opinion Of tina comptroller Of the
treasury on tie subject Of the agree
ment between The forestry service and
The interior department regarding Indar
lands Tie brought out the fact that
copy of the comptroller decision re
fefred 70 by Air. Baltinger had been sent
to the president
There IS nothing here 10 show tie
president read that decision declared
Mr. Pinehot, and the unavoidable infer
ence IS that Alr, Ballinger deceived the
president, because the president said ID
his letter to All i'allinger on Sept. l8
Your deeiinatiou to carry out the con
tract was made necessary BY a ruling
Of the comptroller
The witness contended chat TIE deci
sion sent to the president did not cover
The cooperative agreement as to Indian
lands.
Senator Flint asked the witness if the
statement submitted BY Alr Ballinger