Omaha daily bee., 1910-02-27
SAYS BALLINGER
DECEIVED TAFT


Point Will he Raised Again.
This feature of the testimony Nas tenn
lporarily passed over, but Il was very
evident from the statements made by
members Of the committee, they would
take it up more fully before Mr.. Pinchot
was excused as a witness. Indications
were, when adjournment was taken. that
the former forester would be on the stand
FOR some time TO come.
One Of the minor charges made by Mr..
Ptnchot was to the effect that Mr.. Bal
linger, Jas commissioner Of the land Of
flee I'm 1907, protested against the creation
OF the Chugach forest reserve In Alaska.
The reserve was created over his protest,
however, and includes most Of the Cum
bingham coal claims.
Mr.. P~InChOt's Statement.
Mr.. Pinchot's statement follows:
What ] desire to lay before the COM
mittee is a consecutive story of my ex-
p~erlence with Mr.. Ballinger in relation
to the conservation Of natural resources.
Among several other matters there are
three of principal Importance to be called
to your attention.
The first of three concerns the policy
devised and i~naugurated by the last ad-
mfnistrstion OF protecting against mo-
noponstic control the water power stiles
owned by the people.
Il shall show you that Secretary Bal
iinger entered his office with the clear
determination to make short work Of thai
policy; that he reversed 1t so far as he was
allowed to do so; that he restored power
sites to entry without the remotest idea
Of re~-withdrawing them, and that finally,
when / charged him last autumn to the
president with being an enemy Of the
policy of-conservation, he capped the cli-
max by giving to the president himself an
explanation of his conduct that was es-
pecially fnlse.
CalIs BaIIInger U~nfaithfuI,
II second has to do with my connec-
ton as government officer with the Cum
bingham coal cases. and with the CLAWS
charges. / shall show you how the forest
Service became involved in these cases and
how Claws submitted his facts to me. 1
believed then, as 1 believe now, that he
told the truth. l am convinced now, as l
was when he came to me, that CLAWS was
q faithful public servant and that the
facts which he presented prove that Mr..
Ballinger has/been unfaithful to his trust
as a servant OF the people and as the
guardian of public property OF
value.
"I shall show you that since : learned
the facts you have heard from CLAWS and
others, which / am about to lay before
you, 1 have acted steadily in the light Of
them, as was my duty both as a public
officer and as a citizen to do.
Il shall show you that in pursuance Of
that duty / laid before the president, both
by word Of mouth and in a letter of No
vember 4, a statement Of my conviction
that Secretary Ballinger has been a dan
gerous enemy to conservation.
FnIsehOOd Direct Charge.
II shall show you that this letter was
submitted by the president to Mr.. Ballinger
that as part of his reply he laid be-
fore the president a statement concerning
the Cunningham coal cases, which state
ment is shown by undisputed documentary
evidence to be absolutely false in three
essential particulars. 1t will then appear
that Mr.. Ballinger wilfully deceived the
president and was disloyal to him.
The third principal matter is concerned
with the attitude of this government in
law and administrative practice toward
the conservation of the natural resources
belonging to the people.
II desire to show you that the story Of
Claws courageous and successful fight to
protect the property of the people, which
ended in his dismissal without a hearing,
is but a single chapter in the history OF
the public lands. 1 shall show you that
under our present law and practice the
more difficult task falls on those who
would protect the public property and not
on those who would despoil it M that
under the present system the betrayal into
m~onopolistic control OF what belongs to all
Of us is made easy and, often in practice,
inevitable.
''The Imperative duty before this country
Is not merely to get rid OF an unfaithful
public servant. A far more important duty
is to bring about a fundamental change in
the law and the practice toward conserva-
ton, to prevent for the future what has
been in tho past the almost inevitable
sacrifice OF the public welfare and TO make
possible hereafter the utilization of the
natural resources and the natural advan-
tages for the benefit of all the people in
stead of merely for the profit Of a few.
"When this story has been told and the
witnesses whom 1 shall ask you to call
have been heard, you will realize that the
interests of the people are not safe in Mr..
Ballinger's hands. and hat the country
will demand Of this committee a verdict in
armon Wilt the general conviction that
the secretary Of the interior has been I'M
faithful both TO the public whose property
he has endangered and to the president
whom he has deceived"
Further Examination of Barr,
The forenoon was devoted IN part to a
further examination of W. w. Barr Of
Seattle, as to the agreement now in effect
between him and l.. r. CLAWS as to secur-
ing timber lands in Washington. Barr
said CLAWS was able to- give him informa-
tion as toN the location Of available lands,
which he had never been able to procure
before and the effort Of the committeeman
was clearly directed toward bringing out
the fact that CLAWS within two months
after he had left the government service
was engaged In making use of knowledge
gained as a public servant for the benef
Of private parties. Just as he charged Sec
rotary Ballinger with being after retiring
from office as commissioner Of the general
Ian office.
It was stated by Barr that If the deal he
and CLAWS had entered into was carried