Los Angeles herald., 1910-02-27
SECRETARY ACCUSED OF DIS
LOYALTY TO TAFT
FORMER CHIEF FORESTER HuRLs
RoMBSHELL AT HEARING
Declares Interior Department Head
Unfaithful to Country, Enemy to
Conservation and Menace to
Public Property
Continued from Page one)

over, DuI II Was evident from state
ments made by members of the COM
mittee that they would take it up more
fully before Mr.. Pinchot was excused.
Indications were, when adjournment
was taken, that the former forester
would be on the stand for some time
to come.
Protests Against Reserve
One of the minor charges made by
Pinchot was to the effect that Bal
linger, in 1907, as commissioner of the
land office, protested against the
creation of the Chugach forest reserve
in Alaska. The reserve was created
over his protest, however, and includes
most of the Cunningham coal claims.
The forenoon session was devoted in
part to a further examination of w. w.
Barr of Seattle as to the agreement now
in effect between him aid L. r. CLAWS
as to obtaining timber lands in Wash
ington. Barr said Claws was able to
give him information as to the loca-
tion of available lands, which he never
had been able to get 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
benefit of private parties, just as he
charged Secretary Ballinger with doing
after retiring from office as commits
sioner of the general land office.
Barr said that if the deal he and
CLAWS had entered into were carried
through, Claws share in the profits
would amount to about $4,000.
Barr said he had wired his office in
Seattle to send out the agreement be-
tween him and CLAWS.
Coal Expert TestIfies
Andrew Kennedy, coal expert, who
testified yesterday, also was recalled
this morning to answer few further
questions.
Kennedy said he had been instructed
by CLAWS to work in harmony with
coal expert sent by the forest service
to Alaska, but that CLAWS had never
attempted to influence him in making
any finding or report. Kennedy said
he found it impossible to work wholly
in harmony with the forest expert, who
reported the Cunningham coal lands
worthless as commercial proposition.
The witness estimated the amount of
coal available in the Cunningham group
at ninety million tons. The Alaska
coal, he declared, was as good as any
he had ever seen.
The profit to the mine owners he had
estimated at from 25 to so cents ton,
a net value to the owners of from S25. :
100000 to $45,00O,0O0.
Mr.. Kennedy said his estimates were
rough ones, for he had not gone thor
oughly into the question of values in
dollars and cents. The Alaska fields
were the richest that he had ever
seen. Mr.. Kennedy was questioned in
detail by members of the committee
as to the location of the claims with
1pfprpnpa tA fha !,
etc.
Pinchot Is Sworn
When he had concluded his state
ment Mr.. Pinchot was sworn. His
counsel, George w, Pepper of Phila-
delphia, undertook the direct examina-
tion. 1t began with a statement of Mr..
PiEchot's eServices to the government
The witness told of the growth of the
forest service since he was first con-
nected with it. He said he first en-
tered the service in 1896, under Secre-
tary Hoke Smith as a special agent in
the land office, to inspect forest re-
serves.
Mr.. Pinchot said Mr.. Ballinger, as
commissioner of the land office in
1907, protested against the creation of
Chugach forest reserve in Alaska. This
forest, as finally created, included most
of the Cunningham coal claims.
The contract or cooperative agree
ment, calling for cooperation between
the interior department and forest SER
vice, arranged by Secretary Wilson of
the departemnt of agriculture and for
ner Secretary of the Interior Garfield,
was introduced in evidence. This con-
tract was abrogated by Secretary Bal
linger last year.
Mr.. Pinchot proceeded to tell at some
length the story of the conservation
nj which To1DixyaH &c E,ck
great impetus at the meeting Of COVER
nors called by President Roosevelt
early in 1908. He told of his own ef-
forts to bring about the withdrawal of
water power sites because of his fear
that these sites might pass into mo
nopolistic control"
Public Lands Withdrawn
Attorney Pepper said he would prove
by former Secretary James r. Garfield,
who will be called as a witness, that
at one time. prior to March 4, 1909, he
withdrew 1.S34,520 acres and at another
time 1,615, $40 acres of land from the
public domain as available waterpower
sites.
Mr.. Pinchot referred to his own ac-
tivity and that of former President
Roosevelt in the conservation move
ment, and in chronological order came
down at last to the Inauguration of
President Taft.
''Up to the time he was inaugurated
had President Taft made any declara-
tions as to conservation" asked his
"Yes,' answered Mr.. Pinchot. HE
made reference to the subject in his
inaugural address and several times
before"
Mr.. Pinchot then read from one of
MFR Taft's speeches prior to his cleo
tion, in which he spoke of the neces-
sity of protecting the natural resources
of the country.
Pepper asked Mr.. Pinchot to tell what
the status of conservation movement
was at the time President Taft came
into office.
1T had grown from practically moth
ing a little more than a year before
until to my mind it was-and still is.
the most powerful movement travers-
ing the minds Of the American people"
said the witness. "It has reached the
point where we were all ready for
action-the foundation work had been
DONE"
"And then what happened?"
Balllneer Reverses Ideas
''Mr. Ballinger reversed the central
idea--the withdrawal of the water
power sites-and threw the lands open
to private appropriation"
Mr.. Pepper here stated to the COM
mittee that the action of Secretary
BaIlinger in restoring the lands would
be shown by competent witnesses and
documents. He declared Ballinger an
nounced that the Garfield with
drawals were illegal and that when he
announced his purpose Of restoring the