The Detroit times., 1910-01-08
PINcHoT is FIRED FROM
OFFICE BY PRESIDENT


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realfy-e expected no other.
IL IL certain that the big fight" Is
now on In real earnest. The congress
slonal probe or the Ballinger-Pincho
dispute ns far as II relates TO the for
est service. will. Il Is true. fall rather
fat.
For the service has now been purged
OF every man concerned In the con
troyersy. With Pinchot. Shaw and
Price removed from Official life. Sie
investigation OF the forest service rs
expected To be only perfunctory. But
the trio will noe lie out OF the fghr.
They will appeal as private citizens.
10 see that charges against the inter
Tor department are thoroughly probed.
Potter Appointed Temporarily.
Orders were today sent to Albert
+. Potter, assistant forester. to return
10 Washington from Ogden. Utah.
where he is attending wool growers
convention representing the forestry
bureau. Potter has been named by
Secretary Wilson OF the agricultural
department To take charge OF the for-
est service temporarily.
Washington newspapers take the at
titude that President Taft could have
followed no other course In dealing
with Rinchot. The letters to senator
Dolliver. they hold, was too hagrant
an offense to be overlooked.
The Post, discussing the case. says:
President Taft has taken the only
proper and dignlfed course left to him
by removing Forester Pinchot and his
offending subordinates. He should
have asked for Mr.. Pinchot's resig-
nation after the Claws charges had
been probed."
The Herald says: "An administra-
tion cannot hope TO command national
respect and confidence IL 1t fails to en-
force discipline and keep its oficiai
household In order
Pinchot's dismissal removes from
Official life In Washington one OF The
itew remaining favorites OF ex-Presi-
dent Roosevelt Only two other men,
bers OF the famous tennis cabinet"
are now In the administration family
Lawrence o. Murray. at present
comptroller OF Iae currency. and Her
bert Knox Smith. commissioner or
corporations.
Cannon Loses Fight.
In the house of representatives yes
terday Speaker Cannon lost his first
fight to the insurgents who, comb!n-
ing with the Democrats. caused to be
adopted an amendment to the Ballin-
ger.Pinchot inquiry resolution 80 as to
take from the speaker the power to
appoint the house members OF the
Joint special committee OF investiga-
ton. The margin Of victory was q
narrow one OF three votes, but the In
surgents and Democrats alike are
jubilant The dismissal OF Pinchot has
lent fuel to the flame of their cele-
bration and they are venturing all
manner of predictions as to what IL
TO happen In the future.
Three Republicans, not classed as
insurgents" but who profess their
friendship for Pinchot, voted with the
insurgents" and Democrats for the
amendment which calls for the selec-
ton of the house investigators by
election from the floor. They were;
Ames, of Massachusetts; Fish, OF New
York, and Parsons. of New York.
President Taft's letter 10 Chief For
ester Pinchot. informing him OF his
dismissal follows: -, g6
The secretary OF agriculture in
forms me that on the 2sth OF De-
cember your associate forester, MY.
Price, went to him and proposed TO
resign on the ground that he had
been engaged with Mr.. Shaw. as
sistant law officer, in instigating
nnT nsrs pann and ma9az,nes In attacking the
good name of Secretary Balllnger
and charging the interior depart
ment and the land ndrsIss ofice ,%rannn Win 1or
wrote a note TO you, under dale or
Dec. 2s. asking for your RECON-
mendation In the premises You
did not answer. but on Jan. you
had conversation with him. In
which you said you wished TO make
a statement which should be read
In the senate at the same time that
my message transmitting The rec
ord in the CLAWS case reached
there and you thought you could
duce the statement for you. The
secretary advised against such
course. but asked you for recon-
incubation as to accepting Prices
resignation, in order that he might
bring the matter to me. to whom.
he told you. IL must ultimately
come. because | had considered the
CLAWS charges and had passed on
them.
Charges Assinst BalIinger.
without further conference with
the secretary, and beSore making
n report 10 him. you succeeded In
the senate, "A letter from you stat
Ing that you had sufficiently dis
ciplined Messrs. Price and Shaw
by reprimanding them. and that
your recommendation would be that
no further punishment was re-
quired. and this before that recon-
mendation was submitted to the
secretary and me, whose power
and duty II was 10 determine on
Prices admissions as TO his com
plicity what action should be taken
with respect to his resignation.
In order to understand the fun
purport OF your letter I'm which you
admit the completely OF Price and
Shaw in the publications of the
/ press. IL should be said that the
gravamvn of the CLAWS chai ges
was that Secretary Ballinger and
the others were all affected by
corrupt wish to patent SO so-callcd
Cunningham claims upon coal
lands I'm Alaska: that the question
whether these claims were fraud
ulent or not remained to be decid-
ed upon the evidence after both the
United States and the claimants
mad been heard: that every patent
rs an executive act IL completely
within the turisdiction of the pres
ident to direct the Withholding or
L.. thne h. trstS nl