The Black Hills union and western stock review. [volume] (Rapid City, S.D.) 1904-19??, 1910-02-11

two OF the cases will be used BY his
| opponents to show that he Is not in
sympathy with the cause of saving the
natural resources of the country
from private ownership.
On the other hand it is said that
since the secretary of the interior
came into Office in the Taft cabinet
he has stood like rock against propo-
sittons made to him to compromise
some OF the land cases which have
}been tried in the lower courts and
which are now on the way to the SUI
preme court.
Secretary Bailinser's Position.
No one has intimated that Secretary
Bailinger did anything excepting to
express an opinion that the lower
court which decided adversely to the
government in one case had based its
decision on good law. This would do
nothing more than to show that Mr..
Ballinger believed that under the laws
as they stood, the men who got pos.
session Of some coal lands in certain
way, acted within their legal rights.
The point is, however, that the su-
preme court overturned the decision
of the lower court SO that II Mr.. Bal
linger agreed with the lower court the
supreme court also overturned him.
Now that Chief Forester Pinchot is
out of the service, It is understood that
he will be the chief figure in what
may be called the prosecution of Sec
rotary Ballinger. OF course the in
vestigation is not trial, although 1t
may have the form of one. and the
lines are drawn with the Pinchot in
terests on one side and the Ballinger
interests on the other, and there is to
be an exceedingly hard-fought contest
before the thing finally is decided. 1t
is known that to his friends the form
err forester OF the government has ex-
pressed his determination to see that
the officials who were discharged with
him, and one who was discharged
some time previously, have their cases
presented to congress In the most
forcible way IN which it is possible
to set them forth.
Pinchot is a fighter He is a tall.
slender man who looks more or less
like the popular conception OF a poet.
He Is a bundle Of nervous energy,
however. and his courage is of the
highest order. Secretary Ballinger is
a short man with a well.knit figure,
and with force of determination that
has shown itself on many occasions.
Between him and the chief forester
there is little to choose in the mat
ter of pertinacity of purpose They
are champions we'll worthy OF try.
Ing each others metal.
Hearings to Be Public.
The public will be allowed to attend
the hearings before the committee of
The proceedings will
take the widest kind Of range and will
go way back of any matters pertain
ing to the immediate controversy in
hand. 1t is understood that the Pin
ehot forces, II they may be so called,
will attempt to show that the whole
trend of the secretary of the interiors
life was toward the corporation inter-
ests, that, is, that he believed that it
was far better that In some cases
there should be private ownership Of
mines and water sites and that the
people should get their benefit not
from leasing the sites and the mines
10 the corporations, but from the serv-
ice which the corporation by intro
1ucing economy measures could give
% them.
The secretary of the interior has
plenty CT ammunition, it is said, to use
IN retaliation. There are all kinds
If charges which 1t is understood will
be hurled at the former chiefs of the
forestry bureau.
Conservation to Go On.
With the president, the former chief
forester, Clifford Pinchot, and the Dem
ocrat and Republican parties all COM
mitted to 1t the cause of conservation
ought to go marching on. The pres
ident has said that he wants to save
the trees, the streams, the soil and
the wealth of the mines. Mr. Pinchot
who is now in private life but still as
as ever, says the same
thing The Republican party in its
platform declared for conservation,
ana the Democratic party says that it
is the father of conservation-and
there you are
AS things stand at present two
great organizations are leaders in the
resoprce-saving plan. One of them is
known as the National, Conservation
association and the other as the Joint
Committee on Conservation. OF the
former Charles w. Elliott, formerly
the head Of Harvard college. is the
president, Walter l.. Fisher of Chica-
go vice-president. and Thomas R.
Shipp of Washington secretary. OF
the latter Clifford Pinchot, who re-
Gently was dismissed from his office of
chief forester by President Taft, is the
chairman and James c. Gipe Of Indi-
annapolis, who is now living in Wash
tngton, is the secretary.
Pinchot Will Continue Active.
Clifford Pinchot has let his friends
know privately that notwithstanding
the fact he has been ousted from his
place as chief forester he is going
aheadewith the cause Of conservation
Just as strongly and Just as enthusiasts.
tically as ever he did. 1t is probable
that because he is no longer ham.
pered by department rules and regu.
lations Mr.. Pinchot may feel that he
can go more directly at his work Of
saving the nations resources than
was possible under old conditions