The Birmingham age-herald., 1910-12-08
Three Reports Are Presented In the House and VIII
 Be Printed
BAL[INGER DECLARED ID
 BE EFFICIENT OFFICER
Minority Reports Are Presented By Democratic Members of Committee and By Congressman Mad
 ison, m InsurGent

Washington, December 1.-The Bal linger-Pinchot Investigating committee. after Il months work, made it's final re- port to both houses of Congress today. In the opinion of seven republican mem bers, majority of the committee. Sec retary Ballinger honestly and faithfully performed the duties Of his high office with an eye single to the public interest,"
 In the opinion of the four democrats MT. Ballinger "has not been true to the trust reposed in him as secretary of the interior and should be asked by the proper authorities to resign"
 Both reports. together with the inde- pendent report of Representative Madi- son, republican, also adverse to Bal finger, were offered in the Senate by Senator Nelson and in the House by Rep resentative Mccall. Their presentation followed meeting of the full committed
 The democratic members, led by Sem ator Fletcher of Florida, agreed to this method of getting the reports before l Congress, after their motion to substitute their own report had been rejected in the committee. Senator Fletcher first raised the point of order that the committee had already approved the report that was made public at Minneapolis. This point was overruled by Chairman Nelson. | A motion then was made to substitute the democratic report for the report agreed upon by the seven republican members. This was voted down to j. Representative Madison voted with the | four democrats.
 Three Reports Presented It was agreed by the committee after the majority report had been adopted that all three should be presented at once in each house and printed together. Under | this arrangement the dissenting reports are given equal standing with the major fly report before the two houses. An order for S0,00o copies of the report was 1 made in the Senate.
 Senator Fletcher said later that steps will be taken by the democrats to bring about action in accordance with the | recommendations contained in their re- port. The recommendation in question charaeterizes Secretary Ballinger as mol l deserving of the public confidence and recommends "that he should be requested | ny the proper authority to resign his office as secretary of the interior''
 The reports were accepted in both l houses without comment The plan of action 10 be followed by the democrats had not been determined but 1t is said resolution will be presented to carry out the recommendation made for the | secretarys removal. Such a resolution probably will call fatly upon the Pres ldent to discharge his cabinet officer. Democrats Confer
 The democrats held conference on the natter today. They characterize the ma ority report weak" while the re- publican members of the committee say | it has fully answered all the charges made against Balinger and has disposed of all testimony presented during the long l hearings.
 An effort undoubtedly will be made to put the House on record as to it's opin- | ion of the majority report. Some of the | democratic House members favor de- | handing consideration of the report at l the first opportunity, following up their demand with an appeal from the decision of the chair, should Speaker Cannon rule them out of order
 Officials of the interior department de- ,lined to make any comment whatever 1n the majority report.
 1 have no comment to make on the re- port of the committee, said Secretary If the Interior Ballinger when asked in 'egard to the findings
 In case the speaker permits matters to take their course, it is held by parlia- nentarians that a resolution demanding a vote would be necessary. Such resou- ion would have to go to some standing committee for report and as no such com mittee would relish the responsibility thus thrust upon 1t the resolution probably would be pgeonholed. The general feel ing Is that there would be no action on tI.t not at all, for the report loses its force with the expiration of the present Con gross in March.
 Report of Majority After stating that the evidence pre- sented related in the man of charges of various kirds against Mir. Ballinger and that these came chiefly from two sources IL R. Glavis and Clifford Pnchot-the majority of the committee announced the olowing conclusions:
 "The evidence has wholly failed to make out case. Neither any fact proved. nor Ill the facts put together exhibit MT. Balllnger as being anything but com potent and honorable gentleman, honest ly and faithfully performing the duties of his high office with an eye single to the public interest"
 The report was signed by Senators knute Nelson, chairman: Frank P. Flint. George Sutherland and Elihu Root, and Representatives Samuel W. Mccall of Massachusetts vice chairman; Marlin E. Omsted of Pennsylvania and Edwin Dem by of Michigan, all republicans. few months ago the democratic members Senators D. L. Fletcher and William F. Purcell and Representatives Ollie NJ James of Kentucky and James M. Gra- ham of Illinois, together with Represen- tative Edmond H. Madison of Kansas, progressive republican, put out another report which they maintained to be tho majority opinion. condemning the conduct of MT. Ballinger Secretary of the ln- terior. This report was made public fol- lowing a meeting of the committee in Minnesota last September, which was not attended by some of the republicans who have now exonerated MT. Ballinger, and therefore the natural minority became d majority and the republicans who were present, with the exception of MT. Mad ison withdrew and broke the quorum. The members who now sign the majori- tv report formulated their conclusions at a recent series of meetings
 Animosity Aroused
 In speaking of the animosity created by differences respecting the conservation