New-York tribune., 1910-01-16
AGREE ON INQUIRY
CAUCUS WEDNESDAY.
Republican Members of Pinchot
Committee Reported Chosen.
tFrom The Tribune Bureau. ]

> IFrom The Tribune Bureau-1
Washington, Jan. 15.-The conferrecs on
the Jones resolution providing for COM
mittee to investigate the Ballinger-P -Pinchot
controversy have reached an agreement,
and the conference report will be presented
to the Senate on Monday. AS as ac-
ton has been taken in that body the re-
port will be sent to the House, where its
speedy adoption Is expected. A petition will
be- Immediately circulated In the House
calling on Representative Currier, Of New
Hampshire. to call caucus for the purpose
of electing members Of the COMMITTEE. The
present plan of the House leaders Is to
hold that caucus Wednesday night, and 1t
Is predicted that by Monday, January "a.
the investigation will be in full swing. No
opposition to the Jones resolution Is ex-
pected In the House, as 1t embodes the
Poindexter amendment, allowing witnesses
to appear with counsel.
According 10 one of the House leaders,
the Republican members of the committee
have already been selected, and their
names will be presented to the caucus
merely for ratification. These men are
Representatives Omsted, of Pennsylvania;
Mccall. of Massachusetts,: Stevens. Of Min
nesota, and Madison, OF Kansas In the
opinion Of those who desire a serious and
deliberate investi CATION of the controversy
a more conservative and able committee
could hardly be selected
Mr.. Olmsted is serving his seventh term
In Congress. He is chairman of the Com
n.ittee on Insular Affairs, and although he
is considered one of the Speakers ablest
lieutenants. he is noted for the impartiality
of his rulings in the chair and is respected
on both sides of the House On several
occasions his decisions have proved some
what embarrassing to the House orgapiza-
ticn. He is considered one OF the best con-
stitutional lawyers in the House.
Representative Mccall Is notably indepen-
dent. He Is chairman of the Library Com
mittee, and is serving his ninth term in
Congress from a district in which he has
little opposition He has opposed the
Speaker on several important measures and
his selection member of the committee
can hardly be complained OF by either side.
Mr.. Stevens Is usually accounted the
strongest man in the Minnesota delegation,
with the possible exception of Mr. Tawney.
Representative Madison, of Kansas, is the
insurgent member of the committee. OF all
those who oppose the organization he is one
of the few who has the confidence of his
enemies. He is in his second term but
prior to that had long career on the
bench. He is one of the conservative insur-
gents, of the ,Hayes-Gardner type, and his
selection would be pleasing both to the ad-
ministration and the organization.
If the present slate is not changed it is
hard to where either party to the in
vestigation can complain with Justice The
committee is q thoroughly representative
one and includes the ablest lawyers at the
command Of the House.
tba foat
is to be chairman. to predict the personnel
of the Senate members would be hazardous,
although an effort is being made to induce
Senator Root to serve
Representatives Ollie James. of Ken
lucky, and Henry T. Rainey, of Illinois,
were selected as members of the Ballinger-
Pinchot investigating committee tonight
py Democratic caucus. From the point
OF view of those Representatives who de-
sire the investigation to be one of dig
nifty, free from undertaking and re-
moved from politics. the selections must
be considered highly unfortunate. Repre-
sentative James is of the Bryan school-a
radical in every sense of the word and
eager to turn every possible technicality
to. political account. His colleague on
the committee, Mr.. Rainey, made bitter at
tacks on President Taft, ex-President
Roosevelt and others in Panama Canal
speech delivered at the last session. of
Congress-.
Representatives Sayden. of Texas, and
Rucker, Of Missouri, were also placed In
nomination and supported by the conserva-
tive Democrats, but they were easily de-
feated
The Democratic caucus also unanimously
adopted a resolution presented by Mr..
Hardwick, of Georgia, declaring c'{hat
Democrats throughout the country are
urged to take an activf1e part in procuring
the ratification of the income tax amend
ment to the Constitution" -.