Los Angeles herald., 1910-03-02

tOrney General WickerSnam HHuih5 .
in favor of Mr.. Ballinger was sent 10
the senate"
senator Purcell: ITO what did you
think Mr.. Pinchots letter would
Secretary Wilson: "To conservation,
secretary Wilson said he advised
against the method of blanketing the
presidents message which Mr.. Pinchot
proposed. -,
oliesce in Mr.. Pinchot's writing a let
ter such as you understood he was
going to writer"
Secretary Wilson: mot such a letter
as he did write. / earnestly ADVISED
against that method of securing re-
suits"
Attorney Pepper: "If Mr.. Pinchot
was not going to send the kind OF let
ter he did, what was 1t you OBJECT
ed to?"
Secretary Wilson: "I have told you
what / objected to. 1 am not going to
contradict Mr.. Pinchot any more than
| have to. But the truth is the truth.
1 have the same painful sentiment
that he expressed about this contro-
versy."
Attorney Pepper: But how could
letter dealing with simple department
| message?"
Secretary Wilson: II don't know
how. That was his proposition
Secretary Wilson Excused
Secretary Wilson was here excused
and the cross-examination of Mr.. Pin
chot was begun by Attorney Vertrees.
Mr.. Vertrees sought to develop the
| inference that Mr.. Pinchot felt grteVed
at his dismissal from the government
| service.
Mr. Pinchot objected to this line Of
questioning. He said he was not in
subordinate, however, and he felt that
on this count an injustice had been
done him.
Mr.. vertrees then sought to question
| the witness on his motives for not
answering the question on his prelim-
mary statement to the committee in
which he charged Ballinger with false
hood. The entire committee soon got
into controversy over the objection
which was interposed by Attorney
Pepper
During the discussion Mr.. Vertrees
accused Mr. Pinchot Of having "en-
tered the field of malicious accusa-
| tion."
The question was not pressed how
ever Mr.. Pinchot said that while he
believed his dismissal was not justi-
fed, it left him with no bitterness.
He declared a great national question
was at stake and that 1t far tran
scended any question of personal in
Justice.
CLAWS Sought Interview
Mr.. Vertrees read three statements
from a letter addressed by Mr.. Pinchot
to President Taft at the time CLAWS
was seeking an interview with the
president.
'rYou state that by official action
your office stopped the issuance of
patents to the Cunningham claim
ants?" said Mr.. Vertrees. "ls that
true?"
"That was a mistake" said Mr..
Secondly" said Mr. vertrees, "you
stated to the president that as a re-
suit of Mr. Ballinger's action in re-
storing water power sites withdrawn
by Secretary Garfield, valuable lands
containing power sites had passed
from the government. Is that true?"
"That was a mistake" answered Mr..
Pinchot.
Asked IL the whole framework of his
letter to the president was not mac
curate, Mr.. Pinchot replied
"The question whether / made mis-
takes or not is not essential. The
president would have seen Claws
anyway"
Mr.. Vertrees sought to draw from
the witness the fact that there was
general movement on foot to discredit
Secretary Ballinger.
Denied Movement Against 5aIlinger
II don't recognize a movement
against Mr.. Ballinger." he answered.
Are not you and Mr.. Garfield, and
Shaw aud Price and CLAWS and others,
in a movement to cause the removal of
Mr.. Ballinger and to bring about his
official destruction"
"If you ask me If we were all in a
movement to conserve the natural re-
sources, no matter whom the move
ment hurts, will reply yes"
"And you say you regard Mr.. 'Ballin-
ger as one OF the chief obstacles to
the conservation movement. and you
are trying to remove him?"
1--WE started in to reform him." said
Mr.. Pinchot, amid laughter.
Failing in that, you are going to
try to remove him, are you?"
I'VE are going to try to place the
facts before the committee"
Asked as to what Mr.. Ballinger had
done to show himself an enemy of
conservation, Mr.. Pinchot declared he
had done this by refusing to create
ranger sites on public lands by restor-
ing water power sites to entry and at
tempting to force through the Cum
ningham claims.
AT this point adjournment was taken
until Friday at 10 a. m.