Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1910-03-12
Contradictions of BaIlinger by
Chief Engineer Davis.
DIRECT EXAMINATION ENDS
Absolves the Secretary of Any In
territorial Wrong Doing.
TELLS OF BLACK TENT AFFAIR
Testifies Before the Commit ttee In
vestigating the Ballinger-
Pinchot Controversy.

The direct examination of Chief En-
gineer A p. Davis of the reclamation
service, before the Ballinger- Pinchot in
vestigating committee. ended at the morn
ing session today and his cross-eXamina-
tion was taken up when the committee
resumed in the afternoon. Mr. Davis con-
tinued today to flatly contradict state
mehts made by Secretary Ballinger. Re
ferring TO a recent letter in which Sec
retary Ballinger had stated that he had
ordered certain words on a sign at To-
lGca. Mont. painted on, Mr. Davis de-
clared that no such orders had been is
sued and that the words had never been
erased.
Mr. Davis testimony has been taken up
almost wholly with contradictions OF Sec
retary Ballinger. but at the end of his di-
rect examination he asserted that he did
not wish. in anything he had said, to in
sInuate that Mr.. Ballinger had been guilty
Intentionally or consciously of wrong
act in anything he had done.
The inquiry continues popular with the
ladies' One. sitting in the front row OF
spectators. brought her knitting with her
today. There were about ten men in the
hearing room.
After an executive session this morn
ing IL was announced that the commit
tee would sit only Friday and Saturday
OF next week.
Ballinger's Constant Criticism.
Chief Engineer Davis was questioned
further as TO interviews he has had with
Secretary Rallinger. He declared that
the head of the Interior Department had
continued constantly to criticise the rec
lamation service and that within the last
week had told the witness ne thought
the salaries paid in the service were too
high and that he proposed a new salary
scale MIR. Davis declared that the rumor
had persisted that Director Newell was
sfated to go.
The witness referred further today to
the euruity against the service in some
communities in the west.
Senator Sunderland sought to show that
much ef the dissatisfaction was due to
the fact that on some projects the orig
ipal estimate of the cost of water had
been Increased from $50 to final charge
Of S3o an acre.
Mr.. Davis admitted that this might
hs the cause of some of the discomfort
Mr.. Davis declared the engineers of the
reclamation service. in order to succeed
in their work and in their relations with
landowners, ought to have the earnest
support of the Secretary of the Interior.
He did not feel that Secretary Ballinger
had given this support.
Assertions by Ballinger
Attorney Pepper read into the record a
letter recently addressed to the House
committee on ways and means by Secre-
tary Ballnger in support of the $50. Geo.
600 bond issue for reclamation work. In
this letter Secretary Ballinger spoke of
the hardships which had resulted to set
tiers on some of the projects where CO.
operation agreements had been entered
into by former Secretary Garfield He
also claimed that inducements had been
held out to settlers to come on the land,
and that at ToIuca. Mont. there had been
erected a large signboard inviting set
tiers to come there. This sign included
the statement: Settlers can work out
their payments" Mr.. Ballinger said he
ordered this part of the sign painted out.
Davis Contradicts Ballinger.
Mr.. Davis contradicted practically every
statement in the Ballinger letter He
said he was with Mr.. Ballinger when
ne saw the sign; that no orders had been
given to paint out the words REFERRED
10 and that up to a few days ago they
had not been painted out. Mr.. Davis
said there had been no cooperative
agreement certificates at Toluca; that
40 such signs had been erected anywhere
else and that undue inducement had
never been made to settlers to 20 into the
cooperative work At Touca the reclama
tion work had been completed and there
was more water available than land un-
der cultivation. The lands were public
and it was decided that they should be
taken up
The Black Tent Affair.
The witness went AT some length ipto
the so-called black tent" affair He de-
cIared that under orders of Secretary Bal
Hnger, E. T. Perkins of the Chicago of
fee OF the reclamation service wen,
through the west lecturing in a black
tent TO advertise reclamation work. Ii
came to the attention of officials of the
service that Perkins, in addition TO re-
ceiving $3.50 year from the govern
Inent, was getting an allowance of 500
"A month from the Hartman railway
lines The Hill lines protested that Per-
hins was coming into their territory and
lecturing about projects on the Hartman
lines
Mr.. Davis said he recommended Per
kinS dismissal. Director Newell did not
agree TO this AT first. but at later date
wrote TO Perkins and in polite way
requested his resignation.
Secretary Ballinger reprimanded Direc-
tor Newell for interfering in a matter
which was being personally conducted by
him.
No Conscious Wrong by Ballinger.
When his direct examination had beer
finished and he was being questioned by
members of the committee. Mr. Davi.
suddenly remarked:
Il want II understood that / do no
wish to insinuate in anything that i hav.
said that Secretary Ballinger has inten
tionally or consciously done a wrong act
! do not believe he has"
The witness thought it decidedly bad
tact" for Perkins to lecture on the beau
ties Of southern California and Arizon:
when he was in Minnesota. He alss
thought that the taking of Perkins ava,
from his regular work was a subject fo
criticism.
The luncheon recess here was ordered.