The Richmond Virginian. (Richmond, Va.) 1910-1920, 1910-12-07
THREE REPORTS
ON bAlL|hGER
Majority Report Declares He
is Guiltless on Every
Charge
WHITE-WASH IS
FREELY APPLIED
Hot Contention Between Ma
jority and Minority as to
Which is Real Ma
jortiy Report

W ASHtNdTON, -. T., Dec. 5.--Wlt8
three reports by members Of the Bale
linger Pinchet investigating committee
submitted to Congress to-day tho
prospect opens for lively nght OLA
Capitol HUI.
Chairman Nelson (Republican). on
Minnesota. fled the reports In the SEN
ste. There was a majority report
aigned by seven Republicans; the res
pert signed by four Democrats and one
Republican at Minneapolis last sum-
mer, and another presented by Ju0GO
Madison. an insurgent Republican rsp-
resentative from Kansas. As to thd
rank of the two moro largely signed
reports there Is decided differences Of
opinion. 1t flashed up In the ineetlnm
Of the committee held before tho 1eo~
sion to- day and will be heard Of ASaisS
on the floors Of the Senate ana Houaas
Nelson Submitted Report.
Nelson submitted to the committee
what he called the majority report, tho
one signed seven Republicans 4ena~
tor Fletcher Democrat), OF F1oridas
Immediately took exception. declaring
that the report condemning Ballingers
made public at Minneapolis last sum
mer and signed by five members, was
the real report OF the committee. It
had been adopted at a regular session
and was the only legal expression ct
the committees opinion, he asserted.
Fistchsr's Motion Voted Down.
Nelson oyerruled Fletcher. The lat
ter moved that the Minneapolis report
be substituted for the one presented
by Nelson F1etcher's motion was vot-
ed down, To s.
Fletcher then holly declared that til0
Minneapolis report should not be CALI
ed the minority report of the commits
tee. 1t was the real report, he asserted,
and il any others were TO be presented
they should not rank above it.
lively interchange of opinion w9o;
followed by an agreement that the
three reports should be printed to-
gether and that the Minneapolis pfOs
duction should not he designated ~ ~
minority report.
Madiscn's report Is similar to that
OF the Democrats and finds BaliineoH
guilty OF the charges. 1t was pubs
lished last summer
Report Presented to Congress,
Absolutely generating Secretary ue
the Interior Ballinger Of all charges. tn
report OF the Ballinger- Pinchot IN
Festigating committee was presented
10 Congress to-day.
The report as framed by the mn.
tority members of the committee SUNNI
up its findings as follows:
That Secretary Baiiinger is not -
enemy or hostile to reasonable ana
judicious policy of conservation and
that no ground whatever has beens
shown justifying the opinion that No.
10 not a faithful and efficient publio5
officer.
summary Of Report.
The summary OF the report iys,aAtn
by the committee says In part: ~
The report OF the COMMITTEES ~
Voluminous containing 81 printed
pages.
The evidence presented to the
committee related in the main o.
charges OF various kinds against 0ec.i
rotary Ballinger, and 1t was only ~
ciaentaiiy ana to limited ext~n9
that the conduct OF the other e.
etals was questioned or In tasue.
The charges against Mr.. Rallinne
came chiefly from two sources-NrZs
CLAWS and Mr.. Pinchot. Ss
Origin In Strong Feeling.
me charges appear to have ~
! their origin in a strong feeling oe
luminosity created by q supposed difl@'
ference In policy respecting the CO..
servation OF natural resources. H.
aceusers evidently had this poli3S
IDENTIFY disposed to take a most 49,
favorable View OF the character ~
motives of any one whom they CUE
posed TO be opposed to their ytoSInE
they thus came to regard Mr. H.
linSer with suspicion and to renHxl
| the most natural and innocent a.
occurring In the ordinary courso
department administration, a. frla
nishing evidence Of some sinister ptles
pose. A great mass OF evidence -
! been produced in the effort to supN
port this view OF Mr.. Baliinger.s c0G{
duct. E ;SxS
has been covered We cannot dOu6&ss
since for weeks we listened to al ~
petty squabbles and jealousies OF o.
subordinates in the Interior Depa&1
ment and the forest service. and W10
even furnished with the informa41
secretly secured from Mr.. Ballia9al
confidential stenographer. who l6
charge of his private correspondNm11f
Failed to Make Out Case. sS IT
The evidence has wholly fAiled
make out case. Neither any
proved nor all the facts proved, nor
the facts put together. exhibit
Ballinger as being anything but d ~
petent and honorable gentleman.
estly and faithfully performing
duties OF MS nfgn offlce with Al
single to the public interest," sss}|
Specific Findings. S3S{zk
| The report makes the followinGs
/ cific findings: 3S3
/ That the charges against Hall
I in connection with the Cunnir
Alaskan coal land claims We&S
! justified; that the restorntion NJ
ter power sites by Bailine4f N
: good faith, that ne was jusf1ll4
revoking the Indian cO-or
agreement: that his aband0M1
water users cooperative cert
were Justified; that his cr1t161
/ the reclamation service wA1 641
and that ne - not an enemy k6
dicious conservation ass ~
The CmDninglsnm Clo1m
In reference TO the CuAn1n
claims, the report says: sSSxH
| The entire known coal
acres. II still IN goveea1