The Evening statesman. [volume] (Walla Walla, Wash.) 1903-1910, 1910-01-07
FUEL ADDED
TO FIRE ON
bAL[|NGER
Rekindles Blaze in Contro-
troversy by Approving
CLAWS Course.

Whlch the course adopted by l.. r
CLAWS, with assistance of Messrs.
Price and Shaw of the bureau of for
estry, was warmly approved.
In this communication the chief
forester not only upheld the criticism
of Secretary Ballinger, but suggested
that the president himself had been
mistaken in the facts when he remov-
ed Mr.. Claws from the public service.
Mr. Pinchot's letter called Senator
Hale to his feet with a severe rebuke
to the chief forester for having ig-
, nored a recent order by the president
directing that no subordinate officer
should give information concerning
affairs of the government except to
his superior officers. He also sug-
gested that the adoption of this course
| tended to forestall and prejudice pub
lie opinion in relation to the Ballinger-
PinchOt controversy.
Jones Resolution Referred.
Preceding this incident Senator
Jones joint resolution for an investi-
cation of the interior department and
the forestry bureau was referred to
the committee on public lands, but the
reference was not made until after
| much discussion of a resolution by
| Senator Newlands instructing the
| committee on public lands to report
| within two weeks bills putting into
effect Secretary Ballinger's recon-
| mendations in his annual report on
the conservation of natural resources.
! The NeWlands resolution also was re-
| ferred to the committee on public
lands.
While the senate was taking this
action the house declined to enter
upon discussion Of the joint resolu-
ton introduced by Mr.. Humphrey.
The resolution went over until to-
| morrow.
Sensation in Senate.
| In the senate Mr.. Pinchots letter
caused a genuine sensation. In adj
! dressing his letter to Senator Dolliver,
| Mr.. PinchOt indicated that it had been
| written at the request of the Iowa
senator, but it was addressed to him
as chairman of the committee on ag-
ricuture, thus making it an official
| document. He said that Messrs. Price
and Shaw had prepared an official re-
port upon their actions which he was
transmitting to the secretary of agri-
| culture.
This report showed that Messrs.
! Price and Shaw made public certain
! information regarding the so-called
/ Cunningham claims for coal lands in
| Alaska" said Mr.. PinchOt. The eff
feet of the publication was to direct
critical public attention to the action
/ of the interior department.
| TT shows that they countenanced
the publication by l.. r. CLAWS of
certain facts concerning these claims
after he had been dismissed from Of
| flee, and that in other ways they en-
deavored to direct public attention to
| the imminet danger that the Alaska
| coal fields still in government owner
ship might pass forever into private
hands with little or no compensation
| to the public"
SAYS People Should Know.
This information Mr.. Pinchot
| adds, was Of nature proper to be
made public, unless there are secrets
which the people of the United States
are not entitled to know concerning
the source, nature and progress OF
claims made for portions of the pub
lie lands.
| 1.-THE rumor," he said, that the
I CLAWS report to the president was
prepared in or by the forest service
| is incorrect At CLAWS request sent
Shaw, as it was proper l should, to
! Chicago to assist Claws in arranging
his material for submission to the
president"
After saying that these officials had
| acted on information concerning the
I danger of the loss of the Alaska coal
lands, Mr.. Pinchot continued:
Action through the usual official
I channels and finally even an appeal
20 the president, had resulted (because
of what believe to have been a mis-
taken impression of the facts), in
eliminating from the government SER
| vice in the person of CLAWS, the most
vigorous defender Of the peoples in
terest. Furthermore, the refusal of
the secretary of the interior to as
sumo responsibility in the cases had
left their conduct wholly in the hands
| n whom
apparently committed in favor or
patenting these claims
Thinks Violation Justified.
Price and Shaw. he said, de.lber~
atelv chose to risk their official posi-
tions rather than permit what they
| believed to be the wrongful loss OF
public property. Having violated a
partment, Mr.. Pinchot sad they de-
served a reprimand and had received
one.
But I shall recommend he added,
without hesitation, that no further
action in their case is required.
Mr.. Pinchot said the action of these
subordinates was most unusual but
suggested that the situation that cal
led it forth was quite as unusual.
Price and Shaw he said, sue
cessfully directed public attention to
| a national danger. They increased the
peoples interest in the peoples prop
erty and powerfully fostered the de-
sire to conserve it. There is now far
lees chance that the Alaska coal fields
will pass into the hands of fraud
ulent claimants than there was before
they acted. They acted on what they
believed to be trustworthy informa-
ton. Many considerations which had
not been brought home to the presl-
dents mind, as appears from his let
fer OF September Is, had weight with
them. a..
.oThe rules of official decorum exist
in the interest of official admlnlstra-
/ ton and of that alone. If they are
! used TO prevent an honest and vigil
liant official from saving the PROPERTY
of the public their purpose is violated
and they become worse than u useless IS,
trarsoress propriety But measured
hv the emergency which faced them,
by the purity of their motives and
the results which they accomplished.
/ tbe;r breach Of propriety sinks well
nigh to insignificance.' .,,..