The Hartford republican. (Hartford, Ky.) 18??-1926, 1910-03-18
INVESTIGATION
HEADS ATTRACTION
Ballenger-P inchot Contro-
versy Cloggs Legislation.
Many New Buildings Will Re
Erected in Next Few
Years.

Washington, d. c.. March 12.-The
Ballinger-Pinchos investigation is eN-
citing more interest at the national
capital than Is legislation in either
house of Congress. Mr.. Pinchot has
completed his testimony and James
R. Garfield, who was Secretary OF
the Interior, holding the cabinet
portfolio now held by Mr.. Ballinger,
during President Roosevelts admin
isTation, has been in the witness
chair. Mr.. Garfield has given the
Senate committee some enlightening
information relating to the involved
history of this question. In the state
menss of Secretary Balhnger' con-
nection with the Alaskan coal cases
as a lawyer, Mr. Garfield charged
that he had known of the Guggenhem
deal and reiterated his opinion that
the express authority of the law was
not always necessary 20 enable the
executive to act in the interest of
the people.
There was long controversy con-
corning Mr.. Garfield's withdrawal of
water power sites while he was Sec
Rotary OF the Interior, and the Sem
ate committee pressed more closely
for justification of his night 10 place
a charge on their use by measuring
the water resources which, were i'm
pounded 1t was plainly the sense
of the Senate committee that such
waters were controlled not by the
federal government, but by the states.
Mr.. Garfield replied that the s,ntes
owned the waters and the government
that each party could impose such
restrictions as were deemed necessary.
The witness strongly Justified his
large Withdrawals of lands and
said that his statement TO President
Taft that Mr.. Ballinger had sought
TO return them to entry without at
tracing too much public attention was
based on an assertion of Reclama-
ton Engineer Davis, Mr.. Davis, Chief
engineer of the Reclamation Service,
succeeded Mr. Garfield ON The wit
ness stand, ard said he preferred MOI }
to testify unless directed to do so
by the committee. Senator Nelson,
the chairman of the committee, did
not hesitate to advise him to testify.
In this connection it lis significant
that although Mr.. Ballinger, Secre-
tary Of the Inferior, rs TO attend he
Minnesota Conservation Congress TO
bs held al st. Paul next week, he
will not be invited to attend the
banquet to be given by the st. Paul
Roosevelt Club on March 10, i'm honor
of Clifford Pinchot, former Chief For
ester. This is a significant straw in
dicating the tannd of public opinion
and public feeling. Secretary Bal
linger is undoing much that has been
done by his predecessors, both ex-
Secretary Garfield and ex-Sacrenry
Hitchcock. A large par. OF the lands
along the Grands River in Colora-
do and Utah Withdrawn by Garfield,
will be restored to entry by Ballinger.
Also, coal lands in New Mexico with
drawn by Hitchcock and Garfield will
be restored to entry.
There seems to be determine
ton on the part Of Congress 70 pro-
vide large sum Of money for the
construction of federal buildings in
Washington. Representative Martin
OF South Dakota, member of the
Public Buildings Committee of the
House, has called upon the Secretary
OF the Treasury for statement OF
the amount of rent paid by the gov
eminent in Washington. The pro
gram Is to erect a number OF public
buildings within the next five years.
II is expected that a bill providing for
a bond issue to cover the cost OF
the construction of the buildings,
about fifty millions of dollars, will
be presented. 1t will no doubt be eco
nomical for the government to build
it's own offices, inasmuch ais the rent
ed property used is quite inadequate
for government purposes and the
amount paid in rents dis three or
four times as much In relation to the
value of the property as the amount
thar the govelumnet can secure by the