Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1910-03-02
Gave Permission to Write Senator Do||iver Con-
corning Department Affairs But Not to Criti-
CHE the President Of the United States Lei
ter from Pres. Taft Figures in Hearing.

interview between your" suggested Mr..
| Pepper.
There is"
But does the letter in any way
shae your confidence in your recollec-
ton of what transpired at the inter.
view"
mot bit The statement made to
me by the President was one Of vast
Importance to me a conservationist
and l unquestionably placed more inn
portance upon it than did the Presi-
dent himself"
! Asked as to what impression the let
tiers of the President had had upon
him, Mr. Pinchot said the impression
was very deep one.
| CLAWS had been dismissed on the
ground that his charges against Mr..
Ballinger were baseless" he said,
When We now know they were far
from baseless."
Il have a letter from Secretary Of
| Agriculture Wilson saying he desires
to be present when any testimony Is
given as to the Dolliver letter" said
| Chairman Nelson.
| The examination was turned aside
and message requesting the immedi-
ate presence of the secretary was sent.
Representative Mccall said he had
been requested to ask Mr.. Pinchot
what part he had played in turning
over the Hetch Hetchy valley to the
city of San Francisco for a water SUP.
ply.
That is a very complicated ques.
tion," replied Mr. Pinchot "In the
first place the valley never has been
| turned over to San Francisco. That
action would have to be taken by the
secretary of the interior. Any action
| on my part would merely be in an adj
Visory capacity. The events occurred
so long ago, I would like to have an
opportunity to refresh my memory be-
fore testifying definitely. The sugges-
ton of any action came from the city
OF San Francisco and not from him.
Asked concerning the sending of
Engineer Gabriel Wingate to Alaska to
examine the Cunningham claims, Mr..
Pinchot said he had never seen or
heard of Wingate prior to the time he
went to Alaska for the forest service.
Wingate was recommended to District
Forester Allen at Portland by CLAWS.
Wingate is the man who reported the
Cunningham claims Worthless as q
commercial proposition"
When Secretary Wilson arrived he
took seat beside Chairman Nelson.
Mr.. Pinchot then read into evidence
his letter to Senator Dolliver.
Did you consult with the secretary
of agriculture before you wrote the let.
ter? demanded Nelson.
Mr.. Pepper obtained permission TO
examine a
ton was pressed.
Mr.. Pinchot was asked to explain
MS statement In the letter that Presi-
dent Taft had been misled. He de-
clared that evidence before the com.
mittee showed Mr. Ballinger knew
more about the Cunningham claims
than any other man in the service and
proceeded to recite the various facts
that have come out at the hearing.
But did you know all these things
at the time You wrote the letter to
Senator Dolliver?" INTERCEPTED Ohm.
stead.
Il knew some of the facts" said Mr..
Pinchot.
did you know Governor Moore had
been to Washington for instance?"
mo"
Mr.. Pinchot declared he thought the
President had been misled because in
his letter of Sept. 10 Diminishing the
CLAWS charges he made no reference
| to Mr.. Ballinger's action in ciear-list.
ing the Cunningham claims on the
strength Of the Love report which
Love himself did not regard as war.
ranting any such action,
If subordinate of mine had taken
the action Mr. Ballinger did," declared
the witness dramatically, II would
have dismissed him either for corrup-
ton or incompetence and I wouldn't
have cared which. But the President
made no reference to that act"
And the property value involved
was how much?" suggested Mr.. Pep
per.
! From fifty to one hundred millions
Continued on Page Twelve.)