Los Angeles herald., 1910-01-06
CONGRESS WILL
PROBE QUARREL
PINCR0T-BALLINGER AFFAIR
TO BE SIFTED
RESOLUTIONS PRESENTED TO IN
VESTlGATE ROW
Manns Bill Providing for Reorgani=
zation of Canal Zone Adopted
by House-cost of Living
Discussed
[Associated Press1

ACpNAAiS " al llINGSllEclllpll VI LlAS tsCAA
eral land office and of the forest serv-
ice, growing out of differences between
Secretary Ballinger and Forester Pin
chot, were introduced today in both
houses of congress.
1t is understood they will be adopted
in few days and that the inquiry
will begin soon.
The house devoted the entire day
to the discussion of Representative
Manns bill providing for reorganl-
zation yof the canal zone and finally
passed it. The bill places the entire
administration in the hands of the
president and abolishes the present
canal commission.
In the senate resolutions were intro
duced for an investigation of the high
cost of living.
A committee of twelve is to be ap-
pointed to conduct the investigation of
the Ballinger-Pinchot affair, six of
whom shall be designated by Vice
President Sherman and six by Speak
er Cannon. Unquestionably Senator
Nelson, chairman of the senate COM
mittee on public lands, will head the
list of senators, and this, doubtless,
will result in his selection as chair
man of the joint committee.
Scope of Inquiry
The scope of the investigation is out
lined as follows:
1.-The committee is empowered ana
| directed to make a thorough and COM
/ plete investigation of the adminlstra-
ton and the conduct of the interior
/ department, it's several bureaus and
4 emnloves. and of the bureau of fores-
try, its officials and employees, touch
/ ing or relating to the reclamation, con-
1 servation, management and disposal
of the public lands of the United
4 States, or any lands held In trust py
the United States for any purpose,
including all the natural resources OF
such lands, and said committee Is au-
thorized and empowered to make any
further investigation touching said de-
nartment. it's bureaus officers or en-
nloyes. and of said bureau of forestry,
its officers or employees, as 1t may
deem desirable
The authority to sit during sessions
of congress and in recesses, to require
the attendance of witnesses and the
production of papers, usual TO con-
rressional inquiries, is granted by the
resolution.
All Must Testify
# is provided, further, that any per
son refusing to obey the process or
the committee or to answer any ques-
+ion propounded shall be deemed guilty
: of contempt and jurisdiction Is con.
ferred upon the court of Appeals OF
the District of Columbia to try ana
determine any such charges OF con-
tempt. -
Enployrnent of assistance, legal or
otherwise, is especially authorized. This
provision is made to enable the COM
mittee to secure the services OF able
attorneys to take charge of the proplng'
, so far as directing the questioning Is
concerned.
tt is the intention of President Taft
TO have the committee name some at
torney to conduct the case, and 1t is
nossible that both principals to the
: case may be represented by counsel;
1t was agreed by all persons who
have given close attention to the Bal
linger-Pinchot squabble that the m
, vestigation should be open to the pub
, lie, and this is ordered by the resolu'
tion. one of the big rooms in the new
, senate office buildings will be used Tor
this purpose.
White Slave Traffic
Characterizing Representative Mann's
white slave bill as drastic and reVolu-
tionary," three Democratic members of
the house committee on interstate and
foreign commerce, led by Representa-
tive Richardson of Alabama, today filed
in the house the minority report on
that meature which was favorably act
holiday recess.
The minority takes no exception to
the provisions relative to the transpor-
, tation of alien women and girls in for
eign commerce, and their admls-
sion to American ports is not
controverted, but the chief objec-
tion to the bill is that 'under the ex
elusive authority that congress has
under the commerce clause of the con-
stitution, incidentally or otherwise,
congress cannot in the air of police
power punish citizens of the states for
violating a federal statute made under
the pretense of regulating morals and
suppression of evils which in the strict
and most legal sense is an affair which
belongs to the states"
Panama Canal Bill
With the Democrats fighting every
inch of the way, the Mann bill pro-
viding for the administration of the
Panama canal zone and centralizing
the government thereof in the presi-
dent of the United States, passed the
house today by party vote of 119
to 1O2.
The minority kept the house in ses-
sion until p. m, by Offering amend
ments and demanding tellers. A futile
effort was made by Representative
Richardson of Alabama, to have the
measure recommitted to the committee.
. Section Of the bill, which confers
on the president military and civil and
judicial powers, including the power
to make laws was the object Of spirit
ed attack, Representative Keifer of
Ohio joining the Democrats.
Representative Townsend of AIichi-
gan, presented the majority view, by
saying that while ordinarily congress
had no right to confer legislative
power on the president, 1t had in this
case where the president needed the
power to regulate our canal digging.
Representative Mann, author of the
bill claimed that the precedent for
delegation of such power in the eX-
ecutive was found in similar action
by Democratic congresses at the time
of the Louisiana purchase, and again
when Florida was ceded.
Representative Harrison of New
York said that disturbed International
conditions made such action neces-
sary but that despotic government in
l those territories was continued no
longer than necessary.
Il A motion to strike out the section
entirely was lost, So to 80.
The bill, as it goes to the senate,
authorizes the president to appoint a
director general of the canal and Of
the canal zone.
IL vests the judicial power of the zone
In one circuit court and such inferior
| courts as the president may consti-
tute, and allows appeal to the United
1 States supreme court in major cases.