The Salt Lake tribune. [volume] (Salt Lake City, Utah) 1890-current, 1910-01-07
P|NCH0T APPROVES
COURSE OF CLAWS
Letter Read in Senate Intensi,
iies Controversy Between
Ballinger and Forester.
SENATOR HALE ADMINISTERS
SEVERE PUBLIC REBUkE
Attorney-GeneraI Wickersham,
in Official Report. Arraigns
CLAWS Without Stint.

! WASHINGTON. D. c., Jan. c.
| The Balljnger- er-Pinchot controversy to-
day was mado doubly intense by the
reading IN the senate of letter adj
dressed by Mr.. Pinchot 10 Senator DOLL
yer, in which tho course adopted by
l.. Z. Claws, with the assistance OF
Messrs. Price and Shaw of the bureau
OF forestry, was warmly approved.
In this communication the chef for
ester not only upheld the criticisms OF
Secretary Ballinger, but suggested that
| the president himself had been mistak-
| cn i'll thc facts when be removed Mr..
Claws from the public service.
Chief Forester Rebulscd.,
Mr., PiDchot's s letter called Senator
/ Hale to his feet with severe rebuke
to The chief forester for baviug 10
pored a recent order by the president
| directing that no subordinate officer
| should give information concerning al.
! fairs of the government except 10 his
superior officers. He also suggested
| that the adoption OF this course tended
! 20 forestall and prejudice public opin
ION IN relation 10 the Ballinger. pinchot
| controversy.
Preceding this incident Senator
Jones s lolut resolution for an iuvesti-
CATION of the interior department and
! the forestry bureau WAS referred 10 the
. committee oD public lands. but the ref
ercncc was not made until after much
discussion of n resolution by Senator
Newlands insfruciing tho committee on
public lands 10 report within two weeks
bills putting into effect Secretary Bal
hnger's recommendations IN his annual
report ON the conservation OF natural
resources. The Newlsuds resolution
also was referred 10 the committee on
public lands.
While the senate was taking this se-
ton. tbe house declined to enter upon
discussion of the Joint resolution in
troduced by Mr. Humphrey. The reso-
luton went over until tomorrow.
I Letter Causes Sensation.
In the senate Mr.. Pinchot's letter
caused genuine sensation.
In addressing his letter to Senator
Dolhyer. Mr.. pinchot indicated that IT,
had been written At the request OF
the Iowa senator, but it was addressed
to him rs chairman of the committee
on agriculture, thus making 1t IN off
cl9l document.
He said that Mcssrs Price and Shaw
had prepared as Official report upon
their actions which no was transmitting
TO the secretarT Of agriculture.
This report shows that Messrs Price
aud Shaw made public certain infcmus
|
ham claims for coal lands in Alaska"
said Mr.. Plpchot. The effect of the
publication was to direct critical pub
lie attention 10 the action of the in.
terror department.
cit shows that they countenanccd
the publication by T.. =, CLAWS Of Ger
tain facts concerning these claims after
he had beeu dismissed from Office and
that in other ways they endcavored To
direct public attention 10 tho imminent
danger that the Alaska coal fields still
in government ownership might pass
forever into private hands with little
OF no compensation TO the public.
Should Turn on Light.
This information, Mr.. Pinchot ADDS,
was OF a nature proper to be made pub
lie, "unless there arc secrets which the
people of the United States are not
entitled TO know concerning the source.
nature and progress OF claims made for
portions Of The public lands. -
Tho rumor. he SAID. "ihat the
CLAWS report to the president was pre-
pared in or by the forest service is
incorrect At Glavis's request 7 sent
Shaw. as il was proper ] should, 10
Chicago 10 assist him in arranging bis
material for submission TO the prcsi'
dent
After saving that these officials had
acted on information concerning the
N''A'
lands, Nr. Piuchot continued;
" Action through the usual official
channels. and finally even an appeal
20 The presidents. had resulted (because
Of evbat + believe to have been ms
taken impression OF tho tacts) IN elm
inating from the government service IN
the person OF CLAWS, the most vieor-
Gus defender Of the peoples interest.
Furthermore. the refusal Of the secre-
turv of the interior To assume respon-
sibiIity IN the eases had left their con-
duet wholly in the hands OF suhor-
dinatcs. each OF whom was apparently
committed in favor of patentiDg these
| claims
Riskng Official Heads,
Price and Shaw, nc said. deliberately
chose 10 risk their Official positions
ra thcr than permit what they believed
to be tho wrongful loss of public prop
ertv. Having violated a rule of pro.
pricty rs between the departments, MT.
! Pinckot said they deserved A repTi'
msnd and had received ono,
''But 7 shall recommend, be added,
without hesitation, 'that no further
action IN their case is required. -
| Mr Pinchot said the action of these
| subordiuates was most unusual, but sug-
gestcd that the situation that called it
! forth was quite as unusual.
"pricc and Shaw, - he said. ''succ@ss.
! fully directed pnhlic attention 10 a Ha.
tional danger. They increased the peu-
| pic : interest ia the people S property
| aud powerfully fostercd thc desire 10
conserve it, There is now far less
chance that the Alaska coal fields viii
pass inro rbe hands Of fraudulent
claimants than there was before they
acted.
""Thev acted ON what thev believed
to be Trustworthy information, Many
considerations which mad not been
brought home 80 tho president S mind,
as appears from his letter of Scpterl-
Der Is, had weight. with them.
Rules Can Be Broken.
"'The rules of oficial decorum exist
in the interest of Official administration
and OF that aionc. If they are used to
"a