The citizen. (Honesdale, Pa.) 1908-1914, 1910-01-19
Says Charges of FavoritiSm
Are BaSeleSS.
WILL WELCOME INVESTIGATION.
House of Representatives Commit
tee Will Inquire at Once Into
Official Acts as Land Com
missioner.

Washington, Jan. 1S.-In reply to the
specific charges of extravaganza and
favoritism in the land office and mis-
use of appropriations made by Repre-
sentative Hitchcock of Nebraska be-
fore the house committee on expendi-
lures in the interior department Sec
retary Ballinger said today:
THE charges are baseless, and i
welcome the fullest investigation by
congress.
ut is true that Judge Wright was
denoted while l was commissioner Of
public lands, but not to make room for
my nephew, Jack Ballinger. Judge
Wright was denoted for inefficiency,
to be frank about it, The reduction
took place at the time the board of
law review was being organized, and
Judge Gray took the place on that
board he otherwise would have held.
Jack Ballinger was placed in the
excepted class by President RoOse-
welt at the request of Secretary Gar
field that he might act as my secre-
tary He remained in the service after
l left in March. | had nothing to do
with his appointment as an inspector.
That appointment was made after l
had left. He remained in the service
three months after | resigned
Secretary Ballinger also branded as
'ridiculously false" the charge "Of the
erection of a certain large brick chin
ney for land Office at considerable
expense" and showed that it relates
10 the construction of new stack for
the heating apparatus for the interior
department buildings in Washington.
He also said that the attack on Chief
of Field Service Schwartz was IAN un-
warranted assault upon an efficient
government officer"
AS n result of the testimony given
by Mr.. Hitchcock the committee of
the house will at once begin n in
vestigation independent of that to be
conducted by a joint committee of
congress. Witnesses will be summon
ed from the interior department
One of the charges against Secre-
tary Ballinger made by Mr.. HitchcocB
related to the employment of the sec
retary's nephew, Jack Ballinger, while
Mr.. Ballinger was commissioner of the
land Office. Mr.. Hitchcock charged
that Mr.. Ballinger denoted Judge
Wright, one of the law clerks, from
a $1,000 position to a 81 400 position III
order to make room for his nephew.
He also charged that when Mr.. Bal.
linger was ready TO retire as land
commissioner and after Jack Ballin.
ger had announced that he would re-
tire at the same time and go to Seat
tie TO practice law the position of spe
cial inspector of offices was created in
order that young Ballinger might re
turn home at the expense of the gov,
ernment and continue to draw pay
He resigned his position, Mr.. Hitch
cock says, two weeks after he had
reached Seattle.
Mr.. Hitchcock also charged that sal
aries were being increased and new
positions created in the interior de
partment without authority of law
and that many of the field agents are
utterly unqualified TO do the work fol
which they were appointed.
Chairman Mcclure announced that
the charges made by Mr.. HitchcocB
were specific enough to warrant his
committee TO make a searching inves
tigation of the expenditures in the de
partment and said that the investiga
tion would be begun at once.