The Irish standard. [volume] (Minneapolis, Minn. ;) 1886-1920, 1910-01-22
TAKES UP CHARGES OF GROSS
ExTRAVAGANCE OF OF.
EIClAI FUNDS.
IN CONDUCT OF US. LAND OFFICE
Representative Hitchcock Is Chief Ac.
cuser Of Secretary Of INTERIOR
Cousin Of TAFT Cabinet Officer
Involved in Investigation.

Washington, Jan. 20.-lnvestigation
Of the charges made by Representa-
tive Hitchcock of Nebraska, Demo
terror department, including charges
affecting Secretary Ballingex and his
cousin, Jack" Ballinger, has begun
before the house committee on ex-
penditures In the interior department
Bird S. Mcclure, of Oklahoma, chair
man of the committee, presided.
Commissioner Fred bennett, of the
general land Office, whose service d.
rectly figures in the contantion that
there were many instances of improp-
er use Of the million dollar appropria-
tion for the protection of the public
domain, and Hitchcock, who stirred
up the trouble, first by speech in
up with a statement to the committee,
were present
Hitchcock, in his statement, said
that about the time the present secre-
tary of the interior, then commission
er of the general land office, and
Jack" Ballinger, his cousin and pri-
vate secretary, left for Seattle, the lat
ter received an expensive allowance,
although it was known he was about
to resume private law practice.
Secretary Not to Appear.
Secretary Ballinger will not appear
but probably will send letter to the
committee. The charge as TO Jack"
Ballinger being paid travelling expen-
SEES was not brought up yet. The
employees of the interior department
specifically mentioned in the. charges
will be asked to appear Monday.
Mr.. Hitchcock believes the ihvesti.
cation will show among other things
the existence of two systems of ap.
pointment, promotion and dismissal
in the land office, one operating under
the classified service restrictions and
the other at will under a special ap.
preparation fund.
Commissioner bennett told the com.
mittee that field agents had instruc.
lions to minimize the use of the tele.
graph. though there had TO be many
! emergency work kilograms sent and
that as to the rumors of Every large
telegraph bills for kilograms contain
ing newspaper extracts" he knew of
but two instances. He admitted the
seriousness of the charge that un-
qualified special agents had been Sc.
lected under the million dollar fund
and conceded perhaps a dozen selec.
tions out Of every $50 men. Every
appointment of persons selected for
field work from outside the general
land Office proper, he said, had been
made after scrutiny by the civil serv.
ice commission.
Defends Salary Raises.
The doubling Of the salary of Mr..
Schwartz to $4,000 and the paying Of
higher salary to Schwartzs messen.
ger than to any other messengers
were defended by Mr.. bennett, who
quoted Assistant Attorney General
Purdy as saying. Schwartz was worth
100000 year as lawyer" and the
messengers work was harder than
the others. He cited the cases of
other high salaried chiefs, like VIII
kie of the secret service whose duties.
he said, were no more responsible
than those of Schwartz.
AS to the four score additional
clerks charged to the million dollar
fund Mr.: bennett cited an opinion of
the comptroller of the treasury as
tustifying such use of the appropria.
ton.