Evening bulletin. [volume] (Honolulu [Oahu, Hawaii]) 1895-1912, 1910-01-13
.P|NCHOT DEFENDS
SUBORDINATES
Acted For the Peoples
Good Regardless
Of Results

washington, Jan. 6.-lhe Ballihsei'
Pinchot controversy today was made
doutly intense by the reading in the
Senate of letter addressed by Pin
chot to Senator Doliver, in which the
course adopted by l.. II. CLAWS, with
the assistance of Messrs. Price and
Shaw of the Bureau of Forestry, was
warmly approved
In this communication the Chief
Forester not only upheld the criticisms
of Secretary Ballinger but suggested
that the President himself had been
mistaken in the facts wheh he re-
moved CLAWS from the public service.
Pinchot's letter called Senator Hale
to his feet with severe rebuke to the
Chief Forester for having ignored
recent order by the President direct.
ing that no subordinate officer should
give Information concerning affairs of
the Government except to his superior
officers. He also suggested that the
adoption of this course tended to fore.
stall and prejudice public opinion In
relation to the Ballnger-Pinchot con.
troversy
Discussion In the Senate.
Preceding this incident Senator
Jones joint resolution for an pvesti-
CATION of the Interior Department and
the Forestry Bureau was referred to
the committee on Public Lands: but
the reference was not made until after
much discussion Of resolution by
| Senator Newlands instructing the
Committee on Public Lands to report
within two weeks bill putting into
| effect Secretary Ballinger's recon.
mendations in his annual report on
| the conservation of natural resources.
The Newlands resolution also was re.
ferred to the Committee on Public
Lands.
While. the Senate was taking this
action the House declined to enter up
on a discussion of the joint resolution
introduced by Humphrey. The reso-
luton went over until tomorrow.
| In the Senate. Pinchot's letter
caused genuine sensation. In ad.
dressing his letter to Senator Doliver.
Pinchot indicated that II had been
written at the request OF the Iowa Sen
ator. but II was addressed to him as
chairman of the Committee on Agri-
culture, thus making ii an official doc
ument. He said that Price and shaw
had prepared an ofilcia report upon
their action. which he was transmit.
ting to the Secretary of Agriculture.
This report shows that Price and
Shaw made public certain information
regarding the so.called Cunningham
claims for coal lands in Alaska" said
Pinchot. The effect of the publica.
ton was to direct critical public atten.
ton to the action of the Interior De-
partment.
ut shows that they countenanced
the publication by l.. r. CLAWS of GER
tain facts concerning these claims az
ter he had been dismissed from Office
ored to direct public attention to the
imminent danger that the Alaska coal
fields still in Government ownership
might pass forever into private hands
with little or no compensation to the
public"
This information. Pinchot adds, was
Of a nature proper to be made public
unless there are secrets which the
people of the United States are not
entitled to know concerning the
source. nature ard progress of claims
made for portions of the public lands.
"The rumor," he said, that the Ola
Wis report TO the President was pre-
pared in or by the Forest Service Is in
correct. At CLAWS request SEN
Shaw, as 1t was proper I should, to
Chicago to assist him In Arranging
his material Tor submission to the
President"
; Praise For Ousted Agent.
. After saying that these officials haC
acted on information concerning Tho
| danger of the loss of the Alaska Goa
: lands, Pinchot continued: "Actior
. through the usual official channels
!. and finally even an appeal to tn;
President ha, resuited( because o
!, what believe to have been a mlstak
en- impression of the facts) In elm
:, mating from the Government servic,
!, in tie person Of CLAWS, the most Wig
orous defender OF the peoples inter
Al. e Al.