Staunton spectator and vindicator. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 1896-1916, 1910-01-14
pINCHoT KICKED OUT.

There is a nice mess in Mr.. Taft's
official family just now He has sum-
marily dismissed Mr.. Pinchot, the
Chief Forester of the Government, and
man who has been in office since
Cleveland's time and who has done a
great deal toward conserving govern
ment forests, coal and water powers.
We are not going into a detailed ac-
count of how this dismissal was
brought about, suffice it to say, that
Secretary Ballinger of the Interior
Department, one of Mr.. Taft's official
household, has been mixed up as coun-
sci for some land sharks. One CLAWS,
OF the Forestry division called atten-
ton to this, and he was dismissed for
characterization. The. trouble did not
stop there, but President Taft sided
with his cabinet officer of course, and
this caused friction. Pinchot knew
some facts and he gave them to Sena-
tor Dolliver the other day. This STIR
ed Mr.. Taft very naturally, as there
was an implied reflection on him, SO
he kicked Pinchot out summarily.
There is to be an Investigation by Con-
gress of the whole affair, and the
warmest political weather we have had
will be on US. 1t will be tropical. The
following contains the principal events
in the fight;
January 6-Notice was served on
James r. Garfield, Secretary of the In
terror, that his services would not be re-
quired in the Taft Cabinet.
January Roosevelt conferred with
Pinchot and Garfield relative to emer-
gency measures for withdrawing power
sites, minerals, etc, from the reach of
the predatory corporations.
February to March-sweeping with
drawals were made of power sites, min
eral, oil, forests and other public lands.
March Taft appointed as Secretary
of the Interior X. A. Ballinger, who
had been discharged by Roosevelt as
Land Commissioner on account of his
lack of sympathy with the Roosevelt
policies.
April to May 15-Ballinger made
wholesale restorations to entry of DOW
er sites and coal lands.
May 15-Pinchot protested to Taft
against the course pursued by Ballinger,
and Taft ordered Ballinger to withdraw
power site lands.
May f5-30-Ballinger rewithdrew
some power site lands. He had stated
that not any of these lands
could legally be withdrawn.
June to Observation-Disclosures con-
nection with the Cunningham coal
claims was exposed by l.. r. CLAWS of |
the Forestry Service. Ballinger was
shown TO have acted as attorney for |
claimants and to have appeared before
Garfield seeking to press the claims to |
patent.
September to October-Taft publish
ed letter whitewashing Ballinger, or
Tered CLAWS dismissed and wrote to
Pinchot that he had every confidence
n Ballinger's integrity.
November to Decem Der allinger
sent a young lawyer (Sheridanl to /
Seattle to represent the Government in
Bhe case of the Cunningham claims.
CLAWS and others were not called into
the case.
December to January-Ballinger re-
luested Congress to Investigate.
December 27-Taft authorized legis-
alton for joint commission of House
and Senate, the members to be named
oy Speaker Cannon and Vice resident
Sherman.
December 27-Pinchot accepted bat
lie and declared that it was fight to
/ finish.
In. e.. i
ic Attorney General Understands re-
port upholding Ballinger and denounc-
ne CLAWS, charges as false.
January 6-Pinchot sent Senator Dol
liver a statement declaring his confid-
ence in CLAWS, and insisting that Taft
lad been misled as to the real facts.
January Taft, reatfiming faith in
Ballinger, ordered Pinchot' sremovaI.
NOW comes the Congressional inves-
igation.