The Washington times., 1910-12-07
Secretary of the Interior
Exonerated as Per
Schedule.
FIGHT IS EXPECTED
IN BOTH HOUSES
Diametrical Views of Minority Be
lieved Certain TO Presage
Trouble.
Continued from First Page


eminentIy satisfactory 10 President Taft
/ who has stood with BaIlinger all af0rz
and has refused IN the face OF strong
criticism 10 dismiss him. goes withoul
saying
Cost Votes
AZ is wei understood, the retention
Of BaIlinger was subject Of much
discussion n the recent campaign and
undoubtedly cost the Republicans votes
| in some quarters
The report marks the following spe-
/ Cihc findings.
That the charges and insinuatiops
against Secretary BaHinser in regard to
/ the Cunningham coaI-land entries or
other coal-land claims in Alaska are not
I justified and his conduct IN respect
[ thereto Is not justly eensurabIe-
That he was. under the circumstauee=
I stated, fully justified In revoking Tho
| Indian cooperative agreement
That the restoration Of WATERPROOF.
sites by Secretary BaIinEer was MAD.
| IN good faith and not in enmity 10 In
Government and policy OF conservatio-l
i OF natural resources but pursuant u 81
honest opinion as TO the legality OF the
[ Withdraw walls in which many member
I Of the Senate and House, as well as
] many competent and disilterested aU-
JhOTitieS IN private lfer agree with MIN
that the question Is a doubtful one, AMI
/ IN the opinion Of the committee tEs
I NltEGTaW@IS could not be justified or.
/ the broad grounds Of supervisory power
I which had been alleged In their support
and Secretary BallinEeT Is not CenSur-
/ abie for having or acting on his honest
opinion thtEeon- that the rerItlCiraV-dl
I Of tie portions Of the lands in uueSr-os.
necessary TO enable Congress to act
/ and Tor that purpose only, was JUST
lia5ie- and that no injury appears 20
Z have been done 10 the Government OF
I tne cause Of conservation M either the
Fe-sol7silon or rewIthdrawals-
That, in view OF the opinion Of the At
/ tOrney General, he was justified in
( abandoning the use OF the so-caIIeT
[ yvater-users' cooperative certificates n
connection with the reclana tfOn Of arid
lands
Subject to Criticism
That the administration OF the recia-
nation law presented features justly
subject 10 criticism More projects
/ were undertaken than the money in
hand would complete; some projects ap-
piled 20 little or no Government land,
and were wholly OF chiefly for the bene-
/ 1T Of private lands. In some cases The
/ cost was greatly IN excess OF what SCI
/ tiers had been led to expect. the scone
/ OF the work mad been enlarged beyond
/ the cash resources contemplated BY the
statute by the use Of so-calIed CO.
/ operative certificates OF doubtful le-
gality-
These things called for active invest
CATION. CRITICISM and corrective meas
UTes, 50 far as practicable on the par
| OF the Secretary Of the Interior No
unfair criticism or improper conduct
on Secretary Bailinger'S part has been
shown, nor any action BY him not with
in the sound discretion Of the head o.
the Interior Department in the faithful.
| performance of his duty
That he Is not an enemy OF nor hos
[ f01e
/ Of conservation. and that no ground
{ y hatever has been shown jUstifying Tire
opinion that he IS not faithful and
Efficient public officer.
The entire known coal fields OF Alaska
covering more than S.0Q0-p0 acres. Is
! still in Government ownership. Not an
acre has been patented 70 any CORPORA
/ ton or person Several hundred dollars
/ Of $50 acres each were heretofore focat-
I ed but most OF the lOCaroTS did not
/ proceed to entry, and the time for doing
| so under the law having expired. their
/ claims have lapsed- Substantially the
I only important exceptions are the So
called Cunningham claims, thirIy-three
I N number, covering an aggregate Of
I $50 acres, or about one-fifteenth o. I
per cent Of the known coal field AL
( the coal land in Alaska has been with
/ drawn from entry since November =
1876 From that tine 10 the present T.
/ has been and still Is impossible for any
one to make a coal location or initiate
a new claim TO coal land there Your
[
IereStS OF the people OF the United
States as owners Of the Alaska coal
field are not threatened or endangered
under existing conditions
Attitude In House.
There is considerable uncertainty in
the House as TO what disposition viii Be
made OF the three reports submitted by
the members Of the Bauinger-Pinchot
investigating committee
ment Of the investigating committee did
not specifically provide that Congress
should accept or reject any Of the re-
ports which might be presented The
minority members &C the committee,
however, are determined that the mat
| ter shall not be allowed TO rest without
| placing upon the members Of the House
the responsibility Of deciding the merits
OF the controversy
There was disposition among the
/ minCrIJ, members today TO give The
House organization plenty Of time in
/ which TO bring in rule which would
I authorize consideration or the three Te-
ports If. after q lapse Of several weeks,
! there seems TO be no disposition 10 have
| the House pass judgment on the repOrt.
/ some minority member VII demand
/ consideration.
/ If. as expected. Speaker Cannon rules
such a motion out OF order there VIII
4 be an appeal from the Chair. and tae
vote on this appeal viii be the first =
diCation as to how the House viii
line up
/ Minority members Of the committee
were unanimous today in their declars-
/ ton that they preferred 10 have the
/ House organization act of its own free
/ will, but that II IL declined 70 CO 50
they would not hesitate 10 start a fight
I for the purpose Of placing the House
/ The majority of the committee says
/ the evidence against Balhnger came
chiefly from two sources. Nj Claws AID
/ Mr PinChOt-
: The majority Of the committee. IN
/ reviewing the failure of CLAWS 20
/ make an Investigation OF the Cunning
l ham claims prior TO July. 1903, says he
( had abundant assistance with which
/ to examine into the claims n the sum
I mer Of 1905 II thinks the examination
Z ought 10 have been made that SUM
Z mer- and takes the view that he was
| grossly Temiss - his duty IN noT hay
/ ing the examination made then.