The free lance. (Fredericksburg, Va.) 1885-1926, 1910-12-10
SEE BITTER. R. FIGHT.
Minority tOAttdCk Ballinger
Report in Congress.
NO CASE AGAINST SECRETARY
Majority Of Probers Declare Him
Honest and Faithful in Service
to People and Rap His
Accusers.
NO CASE AGAINST SECRETARY

Washington. Dec. S.-The majority
members OF the Ballinger-Pinchot In
vestigaung committee absolutely clear
ed Secretary Ballinger OF the charges
Of misconduct made against him by
Clifford Pinchot and others and sustain
his administration OF the Interior de-
partment In every respect.
The majority report, which was
submitted to congress. is in striking
contrast to that made last September
by the minority members, who held
that Mr.. Ballnger was unit for office
and ought to be dismissed.
The fight over the two reports will
now be carried into the senate and
the house. The minority members OF
the investigating committee held a
meeting and decided to maintain that
the report issued In September Is the
bona fide report Of the investigating
committee and that the document sub
mitted by the majority members Is
without official standing.
A special rule will have to be adopt
ed In the house before the fight over
the reports can be carried to the floor.
but the Democrats believe they will
be able to get enough votes to accom-
plish this In the senate the question
can be brought up without difficulty.
Friends OF the administration expect
10 zee a bitter contest and perhaps a
good deal OF mud throwing over the
two reports Of the committee. They do
not expect Clifford Pinchot to take his
medicine without stirring up further
trouble.
Uphold BaIllnger.
The majority report makes the fol
lowing specific findings:
That the charges and insinuatlons
against Secretary Ballinger In regard
to the Cunningham coal land entire
and Of other coal land claims in Alas
ka are not justified and his conduct in
respect thereto is not justly censur-
able.
That he was fully justified in re-
yoking the Indian cooperative agree
ment.
THAT the restoration OF water-pOwer
sites by Secretary Ballinger were
made in good faith and not in enmity
to the government and that
no injury appears to have been done to
the government and the cause OF con
seryation by either the restorations or
Withdrawals.
That, in view OF the opinion OF the
alto ney general, he was justified in
abandoning the use Of the so-oalled
water users cooperative certificates
in connection with the reclamation Of
arid lands.
That the administration Of the re-
clamation law presented features just
~ subject to criticism. No
unfair criticism or improper conduct
on Secretary Ballinger's part has been
shown nor any action by him not vita
in the sound discretion Of the head
OF the interior department in the faith
ful performance of his duty.
That he is not an enemy Of nor hos
tile TO a reasonable and judicious pol
icy OF conservation. and that no ground
whatever has been shown justifyng
the opinion that he is not a faithful
and efficient public officer"
Commenting upon the blanket with
drawals OF public lands by James r.
Garfield when secretary Of the inter
ior. the committee says his action was
taken after he ascertained that he
would not be retained under President
Taft"
Il Is said that these Withdrawals
were made "haphazard" from the mere
inspection of land Office state maps.
Many OF these lands were restored to
the public domain by Secretary Bal
linger and a portion were again set
aside.
The rewithdrawals, according to the
committee, were made by Secretary
Ballinger after careful examination
OF maps, notes, data and reports, and
the rewlthdrawals embraced all power
sites in the original blanket withdraw
ais made by Garfield.
The report was signed by Senators
Knute Nelson, chairman; Flint. Suth
erland and Root, and Representatives
Mccall. Olmsted and DENLY, all Re.
publicans.