The Salt Lake tribune. [volume] (Salt Lake City, Utah) 1890-current, 1910-01-06
READY To PROBE
P|NCH0T AFFAIR
Congress Shapes Plans for In
IeStigatiOn of Land Office
and Forestry Service.
MEANS THRESHING OUT
OF OLD CONTROVERSY
House Spends Day on Mann's S
Panama Bill, and Finally
Passes 1t.

WASHINGTON. Jan. 5.--A congress
sion3l Investigation Of the general land
Office aud the forestry service Of the gov
crnmcnt growing out OF the so-cslled Pin
ohot- BallipeeT controversy. is provided
FOR in joint resolution which was in
troduced in The Two houses of congress
! today
Senator Jones offered The resolution In
| the senate simultaneously with its prog
entati"n to the house by Representative
Humphrey Of Washington.
President TAFT having given his sane
rion 10 The proposed inquiry, the Kapub-
hcnn leaders in congress have deter
mined 10 press tho resolution and It's
carly adoption and the subsequent In
| auguration of the investigation without
delay arc confdentially expected.
| In presenting the resolution Mr.. Jones
! sdio.
The various departments and bureaus
| Of the government are organized 10 do
lis business in the interests of the peo-
pie. Every official is but the servant and
agent oi tho people, 10 act for them un-
dor and within the limits of the Law.
! The efficiency OF puhlic service depends
/ much upon the confidence OF the people
! in the honesty and integrity of their
| servants and agents.
Sad Commentary,
| 1t Is sad commentary upon the
state Of public opinion that the moment
a man accepts a public office he becomes
| a Scoundrcl In the eyes OF many of our
| people. and his previous life OF honesty
! and rcctitude is no warrant Of official
integrity. His acts are misconstrued
and his motives questioned. Insinuatiou
and innucndocS arc freely made under
! the euisc of the public welfare, but in
reality TO foster some private interest
i
discredit an official, who, after investi
eating all phases Of a subject may reach
decision at Variance with some private
( interest,
| MANY do not stop to think how sol
| dom have government officials gone
| astray compared with their opportuni
| ties and temptations FOR wrong doing. In
| the hundred and twenty-five years of ouG
| national life few Of the men In high po-
sitions have been actuatcd by. other than
| The highest and most patriotic motives
| This should cause our people to hesitate
| 10 accept cha rScS Of base conduct against
their public servants without investSa-
| tion and proof
! Tho press and magazines OF the
country FOR several months have been
! filed with charges against the present
| secretary of the interior and his conduct
/ OF the office he holds. These charges
range from petty insinuations and In
nucdocs To direct charges Of maJfeaSance
| and mlscoDduct in office which, If true,
show that he has most unworthily dis
charged his trust. A moment's thought
|
! should cause an honest and fair minded
/ man TO hesitate 10 accept such charges
| against man whose whole life hereto
fore has been one OF the hiehcs: rccti-
! tudc and against whom no diShouorable
| charge has ever been made in either pri
yate or public life.
Praise for Balinger.
'suci man is the present secretary
! OF the interior. He Is over 80 years of
age, an honored graduate Of Williams
| coIlcSe. and lawyer Of distinction: Tie
! came 10 our state In 1882 and has lived
! there ever since. lie a superior
! city of Seattle. Wash. and mis- admins
iITltion OF LbaL Office has been model
ior his successors. He accepted the Of
! Zee OF commissioner Of the general land
! office at the urgent solicitation of Sec
rotary Garfield who knew personally his
| sterling character and exceptional abil-
! ity. lie did not seek that office. He ac-
| ccptcd bis present position only upon
the earnest solicitation Of the president.
lie did not seek 1T. II meant nothing
| to him but hard work and poor pay.
1lc gave up large and lucrative law
practice simply at the call OF patriotic
duty. is il possible that he at once be
came tie Scoundrel aud arch enemy OF
the people that me has been depicted IN
the public press? ] cannot believe IL
/ II he has used his high office 10 advance
special interests; If he has sacrificed the
people for private or personal gain, Let
il be shown. II. on the other hand the
people have been deceived. and he has
| boon UUluEtlN accused. lNII Slpu0 ne
shown. not only Chat justice may be
done him. but that the confidence of the
public in the honesty and integrity OF
it's public servants may be restored and
! sire ngthcncd and The animus OF the at
tacks disclosed.
Conservation Policy,
Much has been said regarding his
views Oh the conservation OF our natural
resources. This | shall not discuss al
This time believe that IL Will be shown
that his purposes and objects are SUD
stlntially rhc same as those OF The most
radical Gonscvvationlst and the main dit
eds. there is room for an honest differ
cnce of opinion as TO how our great nat
ural resources can hest b" conserved
u may agree with some OF the views OF
| those, WHO crifiCisc the policies. the meth
ods aud proposals OF the secretary, p9,
tl.a, b. is honest apd patriotic in nh, his
ono thinc Is surc We have had sew
oral wars Of talk about con nscrva Lion. we
hay" had pIatitudc Piled 4p9n Piatt,,iiSe t,iSs
or detailed plans tor conservation nave
been presented,
Is Practical Worker,
"rh" present secretary ot the inicroI
instead OF drawing eiitterins eencJaIi :
tics has made specific rCc"mmcndstions
rcgarlfns all the important conservation
problems so far as they como within Inc
Jurisdiction Of his dep9TimcnL ana g,,I nsT
prepared and submitted To the carciul
scrutiny oi the people and OF congress
{ legislation That be considers ncc@sssa,Ty
Ia effect the objects so much desircd ny
all Uo recommends the repeal Of tUc
timber and stone law ana flol The ,Gc GSlsroSll si
tIo recommends that coal deposits be
separated from the ,ile 10 The SUI sngIafe "a e
from Tho land By sale or lease. lie rec
onrqepds legislation 10 prege9{ tne r,,h,ic @Gr
. | domain by prlyatc persons or corpora
lions vim The Xiew o. moD9p9IlzinS I1si Su Or Or
ilI t1.trcst He has Withdrawn all 10
cations known % possess PoMel p,e;5. p9;SI.oiI If
. ! nstio,gI forests over which his depart
ment has no jurisdiction. aud he re, recon- .,l
Incud. that congress pass IL measure m
! ,Lnrilinr- thf. classification Of landa %
panlc Of being used for water p%Mrr ,;' de- Hs-
vclopment and Ia permit nl tIl"u uls
uosnI through the interior department
Continued on Page Seven