The Daily Missoulian. [volume] (Missoula, Mont.) 1904-1961, 1910-02-27

last haif hour of the session. when
Mr. Pinchot declared there was no
such decision by the comptroller of
the treasury as had been cited by
President Taft in his letter of Sep
tembcr 10, 1909, to Secretary Ballinger
dsmissng the CLAWS charges and au-
thorizlng the removal of CLAWS, The
president had contended that Mr.. Bal
linger had acted under decision Of
the comptroller, which permitted of
no appeal when he had abrpgated Il
cooperative agreement with the agri-
cultural department whereby the for
est service was given control NJ the
forest reserves on Indian lands.
Not in Point.
Mr.. Pinohot admitted there WAS AN
opinion by the comptroller which for
bade the detail of "A clerk from the
forest service to the Indian office, but
eontended 1t had nothing whatever to
do with the work of the forest serv-
Ice In the field. Mr.. Pnehots Inn
plicatlon that President Taft either
had been misled or utterly mistaken
from Senator's Root. Sutherland aud
the other members of the committee.
They read into the records various
decisions of the comptroller which
they contendcd had a bearing on the
matter, but Mr. Pinchot would not
Withdraw from his position that there
was absolutely nothing In the decision
to which President Taft must have
referred. which in any way warranted
the abrogation Of the co-operatIye
agreement by Secretary Balllnser
lie declared, I'm fact. that a previous
opinion specifically held that the
agreement "as lawful.
rms feature was temporarily passed
over, but 1t was evident from state
ments made by members of the com
miltee that they walld take II up more
fully before Mr.. Pinchot was excused.
Indications were, when adjournment
was taken, that the former forester
would be on the stand for some time
to come.
one oi the minor charges ma3a Ag
Mr. Pinehet was tp the effect that
Mr., Ballinger, as commissioner Of the
land office in ioO7 protested against
the creation of the Chugach forest re-
serve In Alaska The reserve was
created over his protest, however. and
includes most OF The Cunningham
coal claims
Upon taking the witness stand this
morning Mr.. Plnchot made the fol
lowing statement of his charges
against Mr., Ballinger:
What | desire to lay before the
committee Is Il consecutive story of
my experience with Mr. Ballnger in
relation to the conservation of nat
ural resources. Among several other
matters there are three of principal
Importance to be called to your at
tentlon.
THE first of these concerns the pol
ley devised and inaugurated by tha
last administration Of protesting
against monopolistic control of water
power sites owned by the people
i shall show you that Secretary
Ballnger entered his office with the
clear determination to make short
work of that policy: that he reversed
1t so far as he was allowed to do SO;
that he restored the power sites to
entry without the remotest idea sof re-
withdrawing them, and finally, when
] charged him last autumn to the pres
ident with being an enemy of the
policy of conservation, he capped the
climax by giving to the president him,
self an explanation of his conduct tha
was essentially false.
'The gecond has to. do with my con
| neetion as a government officer will
! the Cunningham coal cases and will
! the CLAWS charges. ! shall show vol
how the forest service became in
yolved In these cases and how CLAWS
submitted his facts to me- 1~nellevee
/ then, as | believe now, that he told til,
/ truth. | am convinced now, as | wal
| when he came to me, that CLAWS wa
a faithful public servant ana that th'
/ facts which he presented prove tina
Mr.. ,Ballinger had been nnfaithful Il
his trust as servant of the people