The Birmingham age-herald. [volume] (Birmingham, Ala.) 1902-1950, 1910-02-27
|BALL|NGER OFFICE
VERY BUSY PLACE
How the Secretary Carries on
His Work
MANY CLERKS NEEDED
Interior Department Requires $4,000
People to Carry on It's Work and
BaiIenger Is at the Head of
This Great Force
By JONATHAN WINFIELD

| Washington, February 26.-Richard
Achilles Ballinger, Secretary of the In
terror Department, widely known from
one end of the country to the other as
one of the most interesting parties in the
Ballinger- Pinchot controversy, Is perhaps
one of the busiest members of President
Taft's cabinet these days. As Commits
sioner of the General Land Office under
the Roosevelt administration, he dealt
with practically the same subjects he Is
now confronted with but the mares
nest" that has been stirred up by the
charges now being presented before a
committee of Congress by former Special
Agent Louis R. CLAWS, who was deposed
by order of President Taft, has given the
secretary enough work for two men to do.
Resides the other interests of the in
terror department claim his attention,
until he is considered by his colleagues to
be one of the hardest-worked members
of the present cabinet.
To aid him in handling the various work
that piles mountain high on his desk
every day, and weed out the daily calling
list in order that the secretary might be
able to give his attention to only the very
most important matters. several under
secretaries are employed. His personal
secretary has immediate charge of pri-
vdte matters, while in addition he keeps
an eye out to see that the regular routine
matters of the department are attended
to by the other secretaries.
For the purpose of facilitating depart
mental business, there are three clerks.
two stenographers, typewriter and three
messengers. The secretaries are usually
kept busy from clock in the morning
until or at night, and otter later than
that il Mr.. Ballinger is to start in the next
day with fresh sheet
Just at the present time he is pay
ing mighty close attention to the great
mass of testimony that Is being given
before the joint congressional commit
tee by CLAWS. He at present occupies
his time in the evenings with a con-
ference with his special counsel, Mr..
Vertrees of Knoxville, Tenn, who has
taken care of the secretary's interest
In the congressional hearing. As Mr..
Ballinger is lawyer himself he IS
particularly fitted to discuss the sub
land deals in thes west, HIS intimate
knowledge of the much discussed Cur
ningham coal lands as we'll as other
matters pertinent to this case, and later
as an official of the general land Of
fee and then as secretary of the de-
partment of the interior. Usually the
secretary and Mr.. Vertrees hold thksr
conferences at the secretarys home
after the dinner hour. The great mas.
of testimony is gone over, particular
points upon which the secretary would
like to hear a little more from Mr..
CLAWS. are underscored by Mr.. Vertrees.
While Mr. CLAWS is particularly anx-
ious to get even" with those who
caused his dismissal from the service.
Secretary Ballinger is no more anxious
than that the present Joint congression-
al committee should absolve him from
all allegations of guilt or rather Of
fetal misconduct that have been made
against him, whether in official life or
when he was practicing attorney and
representative of the Cunninghams. For
this reason he is particular in having
this inquiry to go as far as the various
senators and representatives are will
ing and If he is adjudged innocent of
all wrongdoing he wants that fact
brought out before the American pub
lie equally as prominent as the insin-
uations and allegations that have
gained ground in some localities that
he is at least morally responsible
for the wrong or graft that has been
practiced in the various noted land
deals that have been brought to light
while he has been connected with the
department.