The Washington herald. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1906-1939, 1910-03-06

against relating conversations with q
President"
Chairman Nelson did not press the
/ question
GaFfieId's First Examination.
The investigation dragged YEARLY along
again yesterday. and when the commit
tee adjourned at o'clock it knew little
or nothing more than when II adjourned
the day before The cross-examination
and redirect, examination OF Pinchot was
concluded, and James r. Garfield, former
Secretary of the Interior Department, was
called to the stand by counsel for Pin
chot
Dir Garfield was on the witness stand
for little more than an hour. and dur
| Ing greater part OF that time he de-
scribed the manner in which Withdrawals
were made under the reclamation act;
the practice under his administration OF
preserving water power sites, and the diff
ferences 10 he found in the four coal land
bills introduced in Congress in 1908 Mrs
Pepper, counsel for Pinchot, who con-
Quoted the examination OF Garfield, evil
IDENTIFY was laying the foundation for his
attempt to SHOW that Secretary Bal1inger
reseinded much Of the conservation work
done by his predecessor.
The examination yesterday was really
preliminary TO that which VIII be con-
Quoted next Thursday.
The impotence OF the committee mem
bers at the manner in which the inves-
tgation IS dragging was voiced By
Chairman Nelson at the opening OF the
proceedings yesterday when he urged
counsel To avoid going over the evidence
which is already before the committee
The chairman announced that the COM
mittee has modified its order regarding
the examination OF documents. so that in
the future witnesses as well as counsei
VIII have the privilege of examining
them Chairman Nelson also stated that
hereafter the committee viii sit on
Thursdays. Fridays. and Saturdays Sub
poenas were issued at the request Of j. ].
VeTuees. counsel for Secretary Balunger,
for Elmer T. Todd. United States attor-
ney at Seattle, and Special Agent C. A.
Parks
In submitting his request for these wit
nesses Mr. vertrees said he would show
by Todd that the testimony OF Special
Agent Jones. regarding the reasons why
criminal prosecutions In Alaska were not
instituted, was false.
CLAWS Private Mail Box.
Mr.. Vertrees said Parks would prove
that he accompanied the assistant Gus
todian Of the federal building at Seat
tie. when the private box OF CLAWS was
first discovered. and that he did not
place in the box the letters that were
Agent Christensen.
At the opening OF Pinchots cFoss-eKam-
ination M Vertrees directed his atten-
ton to the Gale bill. intended TO relieve
conditions In the Alaskan coal fields.
Dir, Vertrees read from a message OF
President Roosevelt regarding the neces-
sltv of remedial legislation for Alaska.
and asked II Ballinger and President
Roosevelt did not hold similar views.
DO you read in the message" asked
Plnchot hotly, that President Roose-
welt advocated the patenting OF claims
which were fraudulent? I certainly do
not"
Mr.. Pinchot and MT Vertrees then be-
came involved In an argument about
what inference should or should not be
drawn, when they we're Interrupted by
Chairman Nelson. who declared that the
committee would judge what inference
should be drawn. Mr.. Pepper, counsel for
Mr.. Pinchot, supported by Mr.. James. of
the committee, insisted that aTgumenta-
tive questions made necessary argumenta-
tive answers.
Go on. said Chairman Nelson. wear
lily.
Mr. Pinchot said that the legislation ad-
vocated by Baliinger before the House
Committee on Public Lands before he re-
tired as Commissioner OF the General
Land Office. was especially adapted TO the
needs Of the Cunningham claims.
Your inference, then" said Vertrees,
was that Ballinger was faEoring legis-
lation which would benefit the Cunning
ham claimants?
THAT is a proper inference" replied
Pinchot
Mr.. Vertrees endeavored to show that
Ballinger and Secretary Garfield favored
the same sort OF legislation for Alaska
Pinchot declared that Ballinger favored
letting the coal land 20 for SO an acre,
while Garfield favored legislation which
would compel the payment of what the
coal lands were worth.
The Ronald Communication.
Referring again TO the Pinchot charges
of deception, Mr. Vertrees, asked if it was
not true that the Ronald letter. alleged
to contain misstatements, was sent after
BaIinger had sent his letter Of defense
and after President Taft had reached a
decision and wrote Ballinger his concur
sion. Pinchot admitted that to be fact.
He added that the Ronald letter was not
the only one which contained misstate-
ments of fact He insisted that the Balm
ger letter of defense was wrong when 1t
stated that the records did not show to
be true the contentious Of CLAWS and
Jones against patenting the Cunningham
claims. and also that it was wrong when
it stated that the clear-listing was not
held up as a result of protest by wire
from CLAWS. Pinchot. said and the rec
ord would prove these were two essential
Of fact.
He admitted that outside OF the docu-
ments in the case he had no knowledge |
Of Ballinger's alleged deception of the |
President
The irritation Of the committee at the !
methods Of examination was again evil /
1enced by Mr.. Madison, who said he was
getting mighty tired Of the manner in !
which the examination Is being con- |
Quoted on both sides. He referred par
ticularly to the questions which made 1t
necessary for a witness TO interpret |
documents already in evidence.
THE Interpretation OF written instru-
ments." said Mr. Madison, SHOULD be