New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1910-03-13
CLASH AT INQUIRY
NELSON AND PEPPER
IN SHARP TILT.
Dc7av Ucarics Chairman
Da,3s attributes No Urong
.4cfions to BdiFnger.
From The Tribune Bureau :

II
From The Tribune Bureau
us.htng+on March IA wearisorne se'
no, ~ the BaIlinger-Pinchot committee
SO e.Ii,ened al its close to-day by shalp
~. ho,r-ean Senator Nelson chairman OF
-, ,o,,r,it-ee and George ". Pepper at
,or,ev for Mr.. Pinchot. Ever since the III
o,,iry hessn there have been conip'Aih's
,hs+ witnesses were compelled 10 rspea'
.rd reiterate testimony previously gwen
Come OF the papers IL The case nave Deen
,-;-,a5 ir the record half oozeh Times
srbu- p Davis chief engineer OF 'he
Reclamation Service, VINO was OH 'ie "''O
al 6az was subjected 10 q snort cfoHsA
-. Vic .f,erroon by Judge Ner-rees,
,,,,,seI for Secretary BallingeT. when at
pan,,sr began his redirect examination ne
- ,ha attention OF the witness to Vart-
.ar,s NJ the record on which Mr.. Davis
- ,a.n previously examined. The COM
-.y.,.. D,as impatient 70 adjourn. and when
A. nsvis ssid that he had been over the
.aD,e ground yesterday and this morning
senator Flint suggested that Mr.. Pepper
oorsne himself TO new matter. Mr.. Pepper
.s,d he was leading up to final question.
He continued his examination along this
line until Senator Nelson lost all patience.
Peuper" said Mr.. Nelson.
This aroused the anger OF Mr.. Pepper,
who sharply retorted that the remark Of
the chairman was an unH-arranted refiec-
ton He wanted TO know II 1t was the
Judgment OF the committee that he was
trifing or delaying the inquiry. Mr.. Mel
,on told the attorney 10 proceed with the
examination He repeated his statement
fiat he thought Mr.. Pepper was trifiing.
That's my opinion he said, with an
zrFrz- nod Of his head
A few minutes later Representative James
SAD he thought that Mt. Nelson had been
urduly irritated.
.'0n that we differ, Nj James retorted
NJ Nelson.
REPRESENTATIVE Graham approved Mr..
Jarres's comment and Mr.. Nelson replied
that the questions asked by Mr.. Pepper
had been gone over three times. A few
minutes later the committee adjourned I'M
IA Friday.
Ballineer's Motives Not Impugned.
The examination OF Mr.. Davis developed
little that was new or interesting in the
conservation row. Three or four times the
witness insisted that he bad no quarrel with
Secretary Ballinger and that he was max
Ing TO charges against him. He did not
mean by this. he said, that he approved all
the acts Of the Secretary of the Interior.
I simply disclaim any desire to question
his motives lie added.
In his cross-examination Mr.. Davis said
Re wanted il clearly understood that he
did not mean to insinuate suggest that
Secretary Ballinser had consciously done
a wrong act II don't believe he has he
said.
IN the redirect examination OF Mr.. Pep
per after a long series of questions, the
witness SAID he did not believe that Secre-
tarv BallinEer appreciated the full bear
ing OF many of his acts or the full mean
Ing Of some Of the things he had said.
one OF the charges made by Mr.. Pinchot
against Secretary Ballinger is that he d.
rected the Reclamation Service to recon-
mend the restoration 10 entry OF water
power sites withdrawn by Mr. Garfield
NJ. Davis partly confirmed this charge
in his direct examination yesterday. When
cross examined he said he was present
q conference attended by Secretary Bal
llrger and Assistant Attorney General
LAWYER when Mr.. LaWler gave an opinion
that lands withdrawn solely for water
power purposes were illegally withdrawn
and should be restored. He was then told
10 follow this opinion and recommend the
restoration o. such lands
Nj. Davis further said that Secretary
Pslnger had not instructed him as to the
language he should use in making these
recommendations. In communicating with
E NJ. Bsllinger on this subject Mr.. Davis
used the words as q result OF further in
Vestgation' IS the reason for recommend
ing the restoration Of the lands
Tn. BLACK Tent" Affair.
The so-called black tent affair figured
IN Mr. Dayiss testimony. He said that Z.
J. Perkins. purchasing agent for the Recla-
nation Service at chicago went through
The West lectUring in a black tent 10 ad-
F-ruse reclamation work. under orders from
eccfelsTy Raluger. The officials Of the
service we're informed. he said, that Per
hlns Wa getting an allowance of 500 a
month from the Hartman lines in addition
10 bis saIsrE ~ $500 lie said Perkins
proved is fidelity 10 the Hartman lines
a. Shipping q. PEI cent OF material from
=" q" Moza, Arlz., where the Recla-
ietie- Service has been engaged in
Pojei '} way of their lines, which made
tie longest and most expensive route.
MF- PEPPER ,riea Owed % have Mr.. Da-
~, .t 10. Reclamation Service. who vas
uiCa.el 81. Secretary BaIlinser to the effect
'A@t e." atom of certain lands in the
Ne-l - puhilc entry after they had been
withdrawn under Secretary Garfield had
-. made pH recommendation of the
Il. i@a.@tlru Service. g.. each instance the
7'He-- replied that Al l}a.liuGer had
Aaas .lisstatemcnt
NuR- ] nave come 20 the point | was
s'''. ssid NJ Pepper. AT the concIu-
-i"u ar toIr direct examination this morn
Ts ."Y aid. J want it understood that
20" as' aIsa 10 insiuuste M anything that
have aid that Secretary Balnger has
INTENTIONALLY OF consciously done a wrong
S"i 81" not believe hc has VIII you
'Af.aIH -na~ statement more fully
I' i4-I~ sid he merely meant 10 dis
1-iH animation thai Mr.. RallHnger
hed done wrong lie referred only 10 his
h''s he 'pntinueJ. aHd not his statements,
f'f han' az rhom Ncro wrong He did not
.ici"at, a.ether he thought Mr.. Ballinger
Ns~s naunan~