Albuquerque morning journal. [volume] (Albuquerque, N.M.) 1903-1926, 1910-03-13
HEATED CLASH.
IN BALL|NGER
INQUIRY
ATTORNEY
ANGRY WITH NELSON
Day Devoted to Examination
of Chief Engineer Davis and
Attacks on Veracity Of In
terror Department CbIeftaina


my Morning journal speeiai SsassA wir.l
Washington March IA sharp
clash occurred between senator Nell
son, chairman ur the Ballinger PIN
( chol committee and Attorney Gca~ssr
w poprer. counsel for Pinchot. nnlr
tho close OF tuduy's session ~ the m
quiry when Mr.. Nelson accused the
/ lawyer With "triflng' With the COM
mittcc
| White with anger, Mr Pepper de-
! mHnded To know II that was the judg
/ mont of he committee. and when seN-
oral members exclaimed. Let Il pass
he said a reflection, which he resented.
| had been cast upon him and he ques-
toned tho senator's right 10 make
such Nh accusation.
Mr Pepper was referring 10 several
/ letters IA the record IN an endeavor
to have chief Engineer Davis of the
reclamation service, who was ON the
stand rcfutc several statements at
tributed 10 Secretary Ballinger to the
effect that restoratons OF cerain
lands In the west 10 public entry after
they had been withdrawn under Sec
retAry Garfield had been made on rec
concentrations OF the reclamation SER
vice Chairman Nelson thought Il
WAS waste OF time to go over ground
already covered and objected to the
reading Of the letters IN EACH in-
stance in which fhe question was put
the witness repiied that Mr.. llallinger
had made a ms-statemcnt
Nov, ! have come 80 the point !
WIS after said Attorney Pepper AT
the conclusion of your direct cxamln-
alton this morning Nou said, ! want
II understood that ! do not wish to
insinuatc in ANYTHING that | have said
that Secretary BailinRer has Intention
ally or consciously donp a wrong. /
do not believe he hasf WIN you ex-
plain Nour statement more fnIly?'
Mr Davis said he merely meant 10
liSclaim amy intinatiun that MI Bal
linger had done wrong He referred
onla ~ hls s9,is. hr eanighufd. and not
his statemeutT fur many af Them were
wrong He dh not indicate whether
hr thought Mr.. knlingcr had .inten-
tionullS or eonseiouslN made Il mis-
settlement
Mr. Davis concluded his testimony
hefure the committee today and was
excused at the end OF the afternoon
sessinn
Hc rmtN contradicted SECRETARY
Ialingnr IN several statements and
said the two dld not agree on many
reclamation matters, although both
had been and, he hoped, still were
good friends
The so-caIled black tent" affair
figured eonspicuously in Mr. Davis
testimony. He said that y. 4. Per-
kins,- -purchasng agent OF the reclam-
alton service az Chicago. went through
the west ecturmg in black tent 70
advertise reclamation work under or
ders Of Secretary Dallinger. The OF
fieials Ok the service were subsequent
lN Informed. he said. that Perkins wns
getting an allowance Of $500 month
from the Hartman railway lines in
addition 10 his $4,000 salary,
Mr Davis said Perkins proved his
fidelity ia the Hartman lines by ships
ping 30 per cent of material from Chi
cago To Mesa. Ariza where the reclaim
alton service has been engaged IN
project by way Of their lines which
made the longest aud most expcn-
siyo rorte.
Attorney Ncrtrees took up the cross
examination Of the witness, question
ing him about the conference he had
here with Mr. Balllngcr on Mhroh Il.
1909, ~ which Ballnser told him of
the complaints which had reached
him about the reclamation service and
that ne intended TO reorganlze the ser-
vice
Mr. Nortrees read the witness state-
ment on this subject
DO YOU stand for chat statcment?'
asked the attorney,
~ do but
con. Of COURSE SOU don't approve OF
All gf his acts, but YOU don't believe
hp has Intentionally done any wrong"
III simply dlsciaim any desire 10
question his motives said the Wit
noss
"Did MT Balnger any time reflect
ON the efficiency aud uprightness of
the reclamation service. as whole.
from his public utter
anees2f
He doesn't regard the service as
efficient
well YOU admit Yourself that the
service nov IS not efficient; that II is
dor't YOU
Yes
senator sutherland interrupted to
Inquire II the witness did not regard
tho t'matlla project IN Oregon as a
allure
y certainly DO not
"Wcll ! understand the people out
here think SO said senator Suther-
ard.
They think the land is worth from
40 10 $500 an acre, was his tart
eply
SIR Nertrees rcad into the record
etfer written hN Director Newell.
uh ~. tp Senator La Toilette. in
81 hitch Nr Newell said he had recon-
lendcd to S.cretar, Ballinger that
crtaiD lands. withdrawn under the
fairfield admlnistration be restored
loWN. $50 ns not Geo attract public at
entlnn. He sought to draw from the
'iuoss the admission that II was
pon this recommendation that Mr.
iaihnRef had instructed him to
ithdraN lands SLOWLY hmt the Wit
less insisted that there were TWO dh-
~, rt instances.
Nh. NertreeS also read into the
cenrd letters exchanged between See
eur, Bnllinger and President TAFT
'he letters showed that the secretary
na written President Taft ia regard
70 continuing reclamation work. but
nut thc president had advised him to
odd down on reclamation work in
he interest nf economy and that
then congress met he Neuid take the
natter uu.
When YOU were called as Wit
rss Inquired Mn Nertrccs. why did