The Salt Lake tribune. [volume] (Salt Lake City, Utah) 1890-current, 1910-02-27

his charges against Secretary BaIlinger
when he went on the stand today:
"What ! desire to lay before the
committee is a consecutive story oil my
experience with Mr.. .Ballinnger IN Tela-
tion TO the conservation of natural re-
sources. Among several other matters
there are three Of principal Importance
TO be called TO your attention.
1.-The first of these concerns the pol
icy devised and lnaugurated By the last
monopolistic control the water power
sites owned by the people.
81 shall show you that Secretary l5a |
| linger entered his Office with the clear ,
determination TO make short work oil |
| that policy; that he reversed 1T so tar
as he was allowed TO do so; that he re-
stored the power sites TO entry without
tho remotest idea of rewithdrawing
them, and that finally. when ] charged
! him last autumn TO the president with
being an enemy OF the policy of conser'
walton he capped the climax BY giving
to the president himself an explanation
| of his conduct that was essentially false
"The second has 10 do with my con
nection as a government officer with
! the Cunningham coal cases and With the
CLAWS charges. | shall show you how
the forest service became involved III
these eases and how CLAWS submitted
hls facts 10 me. | believed then, as ]
am convinced now. as [ was when he
came to me, that CLAWS was a faithful
public servant, and that the facts
which he presented prove that Mr.. Bal
linger had been unfaithful to mis- trust
as a servant of ihe people, and as the
guardian of public property of enor.
nous value.
II shall show that since l learned
: the facts you have heard from CLAWS
and others which / am about to lay
. before you / haTo acted steadily IN
the light of them, as it was my duty
$ both as n public officer and as a citi-
:. zen to do. [ shall show you that, III
g pursuance of that duty, | laid before
u ! The president, both by word OF mouth
/ and in letter of November I, state.
:. ment Of my conviction that Secretary
u Ballinger has been dangerous enemy
TO conservation
~ shall show you that this letter
= was submitted by the president to Mr.
: Ballinper and that as q part of his
Il statement concerning the Cunningham
~ coal cases, which statement is showr
:, by indisputed documentary evidence Il
re- bn absolutely false In three essentia
4 particulars.
a. 1T will then appear that Mr.. Balm
Id ger wi]fully deceived the president ant
p was disloyal to him. The third prin
Of titude of this government IN law an'
ct administrative practice toward th
st conservation of the national resource
e. belonging to the people.
c. Il desire TO show you that The sior
n OF Claws courageous and succesSit
- II fight TO protect tho property of the peo
d pje, which ended in his dismissal with
out n hearing, Is but n single chapte
IN In the history fthe public lands.
". shall show you that under our preser
nj law and practice the more diiiicuit tas
/, falls on those who would protect IN
~, pubII- property aud yot on hose VIII
~ would dcspoil !t. and that under "
as present system The betrayal Into monoT
he olistic control OF what belongs to all
be us Is made easy. and, often In practc
nd inevitable.
AS The imperative duty before this cour
MT try Is not merely to get rid OF an M
H. faithful public servant \ far more IN
10 portant duty Is to bring about tundi
". mental change In the law and the pra'
OF lcc toward conservation. TO prevent e
mt the future what has been In the past 81
lst almost inevitable sacrifice OF the publ
,fb welfare aud to make possible here II
,n utilization OF tho natural resources AZ
AZ the ntaural advantages for the benefit
all the people instead OF merely Tor u
no profit of a few,
led When this story has been told. al
its the witnesses whom I shall ask YOU
call have been heard, YOU VIII reaii
that the interests OF the country q
not safe in Mr.. Balirgcr's hands, al
that the public demands OF this cor
~ general conviction that the secretary
-: the interior has been uufalthtui both
III the public whose property hc mas .
IN. dangered. aud to the president whom
OF has deceived.