Evening times-Republican. [volume] (Marshalltown, Iowa) 1890-1923, 1910-07-18

.,pecial story in the Chicago Tribune
today, under q Washington date, Sec
retary Ba1linger will be exonerated by
a majority report Of the Joint congress
stonal committee. which for five
months has been making an exhaustive
investigation Of tho conduct Of affairs
of the department Of the interior and
OF the bureau OF forestry OF tne Depart
ment Of agriculture.
Tha investigators who concur in the
majority report, which carries a con-
demnatidn OF the course OF Pinchot.
GARFIELD and Claws. according to the
Tribune story, are Senators Nelson,
Flint. Sutherland and Root and Repre-
sentat!ves Mccall, DENLY and Ohm
stead. It also is declared that minor
ity report will be filed declaring Bal
linxer guilty, to which the signatures
of Senators Purcell and Fletcher and
Representatives Madison. James and
Graham will be attached.
Nelson Writes Report.
II Is asserted the majority report was
drafted by Senator Nelson and that
of the minority by Representative
James, and that in addition Repre-
sentative Madison has written his own
opinion Of the affair. a1tho he will sign
the minority report. The majority re-
port is said to find that Ba1linger acted
within the record and displayed proper
Judgment with respect to the Cunning
ham coal claims; that he was wise,
honest and conservative in his actions,
and that he was Justified in his criti-
cism OF the reclamation service and In
his abandonment Of the policy OF Sec
retary Garfield.
Holdings Of Majority Report.
The majority report will declare:
That Mr.. BaIlinger is wise, honest,
conservative officer Of the government.
That Mt. Ballinger acted entirely
within the record and displayed proper
judgment in his attitude with respect
to the Cunningham coal claims.
That Mr.. Ballinger was justified in
his criticism Of the reclamation SER
vice.
That nothing was developed to prove
any monopoly or improper granting Of
water power sites.
That Mr.. Ballinger was justified in
abandoning the policy OF Mr.. Garfield.
expressed in a cooperative agree
ment" whereby absolute control, man
agement, and direction OF certain en-
ployes in the Indian service were given
over to the forestry bureau OF the de-
partment of agriculture.
Questions to Be Answered.
It will be in this way that the ma
Jority, OF tine committee will answer
these two questions which counsel for
MI. CLAWS and Mr.. Pinchot inserted
In their brief.
"Have the conduct and associations
Mr.. Ballinger been such, are his
character and his conceptions such that
he may be safely continued as a trustee
Of our vast public domain and manager
of the reclamation and other services
the administration Of which will so
largely determine the welfare of the
present and OF the future generations
of Americans?
"Is Mr.. Ballinger man single
minded, able, enlightened, so zealously
devoted to the interests of the common
people, so vigilant and resolute in re-
sisting the insidious aggressions Of the
special interests that to him may be
safely Entrusted the carrying forward
OF the broad policy of conservation Of
our national resources"
The answer Of the majority Of the
committee to these two questions may
be expressed in two words:
He is.
The answer Of Madison and the dem
ocrats will be:
He IS not
From all that can be learned Con-
Eress man Madison and the democrats
will take the view that Mr.. Ballinger
Is an unflt trustee OF the interests Of
tho people and acted improperly with
reference to the Cunningham claims
and the other matters.
SO far as concerns Mr.. Bal1inger's
conduct from the time he resigned the
eey.ce Of commissioner OF the general
land office until he took his place as
Q msmbar or fres::ss.s.t Tafts cabinet