The San Francisco call. [volume] (San Francisco [Calif.]) 1895-1913, 1910-08-18
NO, OFFICIAL
HAS NJ IDEA
Of RESIGNING
Secretary Declines to Talk PoIi-
tics, but Gives His Views on
Conservation
New Hotels for National Park
Are Among Plans of Interior
Department

Department
Tire ic official who has reason
Pc sure of his job arrived in
Far Ers-c-sco yesterday. accompanied
-oErapher. Tt man.is Secre-
The Interior Richard Achilles
EGfr who, every dispatch from
Ell" Mass, says is about to be-
prirste citizen. either by resig-
or other route. In an in
81 The Call at the st. Fran
erday afternoon Secretary
ser Sc terated his denial Of the
crt ttat intended TO resign. The
ogu 1e sitting at the secretary's
hr ook down the reiteration-
proved 4 conservation
rf -sation.
roke of the present Hetch
Sony supply situation and of
a0ar general, but not a word
the question that has
sam into an interroga-
% YOU think Of resign
pher picked up his pen
DOWN GOES PENCIL
4 have said. J think ali that is
necessary TO say on that subject" re-
piled the "defenda Mt in the Ballinger-
Pinchot-Glavis controversy
The stenogra piers pencil dropped.
But won't you say something on the
subject to the San Francisco people,
through the local papers?' he was
asked.
The pencil was picked up again.
You have probably had what l have
said before through the press dis
patches" Ballinger replied cannily.
II was repeated TO the man whom
Senator Murray Crane chased half
way across the continent for a whis-
pered conference that he had been
quoted as saying that he would resign
II the president requested il.
The agile pencil of the stenographer
caught the following answer:
THAT is not what / said. In sub
stance ! said: The president has never
inumated 10 me that he desired my
resignation. and until he did l would
not consider it -
What have you to say on the result
Of the primary election held in Califor-
MIA yesterday" he was asked.
NO POLITICS FOR HIM
The "anti-insurgent" would not dis
cuss it.
Il viii not discuss nor comment on
political conditions here or elsewhere"
he said
Have you anything to say on the
success OF William Kent in his fight
for congress in the second district,
which Mr.. Pinchot aided him in max
ing2" Ballinger was asked
He smiled grimly. as the stenograph-
er's pencil might have noted, and re-
piled that that matter, too, was politi-
cal
But at the close OF his interview Bal
linger, smiling, said, when thanked for
the freedom Of his talk:
I carry no concealed weapons
haven't since ] was mayor of Seattle"
He didn't define concealed weapons"
in the modern political sense
Ballnger came to San Francisco en-
route to the Yosemite valley He will
spend today and tomorrow in San
Francisco, leaving tomorrow night for
the national park. He viii stay four
days in the valley and from there will
return TO Seattle. At noon today he
viii be entertained at luncheon by the
san Francisco chamber of commerce
at the Palace hotel Governor Gillett
and Congressman Kahn and Hayes have
been invited TO the luncheon. There
viii be so present.
Mrs. Ballinger is with the secretary
on his present trip.
-.
reclamation service, is with the secre-
tary OF the interior. Finney has been
visiting reclamation projects with his
chief and viii leave San Francisco for
the east, visiting governmental projects
en- route.
IMPROVEMENTS IN YOSEMITE
Secretary BaRinger talked somewhat
freely Of the plans and purposes of his
trip 70 the Yosemite. one important OBJ
Ill l. II. -
Of the esta blishment Of more hotels
and providing for the more efficient en-
tertainment Of the nations guests.
The department contemplated i'm
provements in the valley and has been
urging increased appropriations for the
development of roads and for provid-
ing for the convenience Of the public
There should be increased hotel facili-
ties. We shall see if it is not pos
sible 10 get increased accommoda-
lions. The present hotels there are
good; we have no complaint of them:
but more hotels are necessary for an
increase in efficiency in entertaining
visitors. 1t is not the policy of
the government to operate hotels in its
national parks, but TO supervise them
under concession regulations" the sec
rotary stated.
The appropriations for the Yosemite
national park for the current fiscal
year. There is SCI, 200 appropriated.
OF this 1000 is Immediately available
for sprinkling the roads and the ball
snce viii so for bridges, trails and
other improvements
GENERAL INSPECTION
Ballnger said that his visit to the
west was for the general inspection of
departmental matters-the reclamation
service Indian affairs. national parks
and public lands. He said that the
Hetch Hetchy question would not be
considered on this trip, as the matter
was now under the consideration of
the board of army engineers under
Colonel Biddle. He reiterated the
city's right to develop the Lake
Eleanor 1n6 Cherry valley properties
BaIlinger said that he did not know
that the city officials were now in the
Hetch Hetchy valley and had made no
plan to meet them.
Concerning conservation Ballinger
said: I don't hesitateeto say that the
views I now entertain on the subject
of conservation are the views that l
have formed during an experience or
so years Of life in the west, and are
such as I believe TO be logical and
necessary for the prosperity of the