The Newport miner. [volume] (Newport, Wash.) 1899-current, 1910-03-31
NEWS FROM THE
NATIONAL CAPITAL
DoiNGs OF CONGRESS AND ITEMS
OF INTEREST.
VERTREES LAUDS BALLlNGER
Prosecution Closes in saIIinaer Pin
chot controversy.-cannon May
Yet Be Ousted.
vERTREES LAUDS BALLlNGER

WASHINGTON, d. C.-The prose
cution in the Balfnger-Pinchot con-
troversy concluded it's case with an
lneffectual attempt to force the CON-
mittee to call Ballinger as witness
for the prosecution.
Attorney Vertrees, in opening the
case for the defense, warmly com
mended Secretary Ballinger and
flayed the ''Pinchot Service" in caus.
tic terms.
"When Mr.. Ballinger has been
heard" said Attorney Vertrees, at
will be seen that true conservation
has no steadier supporter than he.
He holds that conservation is not a
thing OF caprice, but. Of law; that
those who have already been born
and now breathe have rights, as well
as those yet to be, born and to
breathe.
"In restoring to entry vast acreas
of the public domain, which he be-
Heved to have been wrongfully with
drawn. Mr.. Ballinger still believes he
was right, but il he erred, he denies
that 1t was an error for which the
good faith of his official action
should be questioned by those who
would substitute opinion for law"
Trouble Hrews For Cannon.
All the fighting is not yet over in
the House. Several revolutions are
brewing, among them propositions to
GUST Cannon, elect the various COM
mittees of the House and provide
machinery whereby members can
draw from committees bills that now
slumber in pigeon holes.
Several insurgents advocate the re-
moval of Speaker Cannon by means
Of the combined vote of Democrats
and insurgents and to substitute in
his place Asher c. Kinds, the parlia-
mentarian of the House The idea of
placing in the Speakers chair a pure
parliamentarian, not member of the
House, who would be entirely unin-
fluenced by considerations of parti-
san advantage is suggested as the
logical and proper course
States May Trade School Sections.
Progress is being made with a bill
permitting the various states to Sc
lect compact bodies Of land in forest
reserves in exchange for scattered
sections is and Sc, which are mac
cessible and of little value There
would be fair prospect for the pas
sage of such bill but for the fact
that Senator Hepburn is bitterly op-
posed to it. -
Representative Hamer, of Idaho.
started this legislation going by in.
PRODUCING bill at the special session
authorizing the states to exchange
their school sections in reserves for
compact bodies of forest reserve land.
This session Representative Hawley,
of Oregon, introduced another bill
aiming at the same accomplishment
Irrigation Bill obviates Bonds.
Whatever legislation may be en-
acted looking to the raising of addi-
tional funds to complete Government
irrigation projects will probably fol-
low the general lines of the bill pre-
pared jointly by the Senate COM
mittees on irrigation and finance
The bill differs radically from the
bond issue bill originally introduced
by Senator Borah, in fact, if passed,
it will be more acceptable than the
original bond issue. bill, for in effect
it provides for direct appropriation
Of $3O,000,000 out of the Federal
Treasury, that amount to be reim-
bursed out of the reclamation fund
Pullman TdTSS 10 NVASS VtuSI &c w.t.
Pullman fares from st. Paul to
North Pacific Coast cities will be ma
terially reduced by an order to be
issued by the Interstate Commerce
Commission. The commission has
reached this decision in the case be-
gun by the Shippers League, headed
by George LOTUS of Minneapolis. It
Is understood the commission will
also include in its decision that the
Pullman company must sell upper
berths for less than lower.
Settlers Given More Time.
The Senate irrigation committee
has ordered a favorable report ON a
bill authorizing the Secretary OF the
Interior to use his discretion about
suspending water payments on the
Government irrigation projects when
he is convinced that settlers through