Arizona republican., 1910-03-12
AT EACH OTHER's THROAT
The Testimony of Arthur P. Davis, in the Course of Which He Said Secretary Ballinger Threatened De struction of Service.

Washington. March 1I--With Ar thur P Davis. chief engineer of the reclamation service. on the stand. the attack on Secretary Ballinger was continued today before the congress sional investigating committee Davis was called as d witness by Pinchot and examined by Pinchots attorney
 Although reluctant to testify. Davis proved to be well fortified with maps. data. etc. and in many ways was one of the most important witnesses so far introduced by the prosecution. He contradicted flatly many state ments made by MT Ballinger to Pres ident Taft and revealed in detail va rious interviews he had had with M- Ballinger. and ended the day by de- claring that the reclamation service is in danger of disintegration as the re- suit of Secretary Ballinger's attitude toward it.
 Davis declared that "in language as strong as politeaeSs and proper respect would permit" he told Mir. Ballinser himself that his entire course tended to the demOralization of the service. Referring to a statement by Mir. Bal finger to the president that he had restored many lands withdrawn by Secretary Garfield on the strength of the recommendations from the recla: nation service that the lands were no longer needed for reclamation pur- poses. Davis declared that all recom- mendations by the reclamation ser vice were in response to direct orders issued hy Secretary Ballinger.
 These orders were repeated, he said. many times. but never in writing. Di- rector Newell of the reclamation ser vice protested vigorously against the secretary's action. Davis said that Ballinger had written letter to pr Thomas Win of this city. repeating his statements that the lands were restored upon the recommendation of the acting director of the reclamation service that they were no longer need ed The witness said he was the act ing director referred to and that he never made any such recommendation.
 Davis declared that early in the present administration he found Bal finger deeply prejudiced against the reclamation service. He asserted that Ballinger told him to prepare a list of the lands for restoration slowly so as not to attract public attention The witness said that he had made no at tempt to influence Ballinger as to these reStorations. because he was al- ways met with the flat statement that Garfield's withdrawal of the lands had been entirely illegal.
 Davis asserted that Ballinger was wrong in stating to the president that Garfied's withdrawals did not truth fully show what they were made for. There had been no subterfuge. he said. and if there had been any appearance of subterfuge it was his fault. and not Garfeld's. The witness revealed in his testimony that there is quite q feud between the reclamation service and the geological survey. It was on from the reclamation service that Garfield acted in the withdrawal of power sites.
 Ballinger has depended entirely on the geological survey. Davis did not hesitate to criticise the survey and de- clared that the marrow strips which have been withdrawn along the streams by the geological survey did not properly protect the power sites. His direct examination had not been concluded when an adjournment was taken until tomorrow.