The Richmond palladium and sun-telegram. [volume] (Richmond, Ind.) 1907-1939, 1910-04-29
'DAlLIAGER TAKES
TIE STAND TODAY
TELLS OF ABUSES
Relates His Side of the Con-
servation Middle and Tells
About the Pinchot and CLAW
is Charges.
T.
LARGE CROWD HEARS
SECRETARY TESTIFY
Says Garfield and Roosevelt
Urged Him TO- Enter the
Land Office Gives a His
tory Of His Career.
american News serylee.

NAmerlcant news Services
Washington. April 29.--Interest IN
the Pinchot- BalIinger investigation be-
fore the senate committee became In.
tense today when Richard A. Balm
ger. secretary OF interior. took the
witness stand and told his side OF the
conservation controversy and charges
made against him by Pinchot. Claws
and others. He told Of the great per-
sonal sacrifice he had made in accept
ing tho office Of the commissioner un-
der Roosevelt, persuasion being
brought to bear by Secretary Garfield.
an old college chum OF his and Roose-
welt himself. Ballinger said his law
firm had practically no business with
the land office In the interest OF the
clients at that Tins. Roosevelt told
Ballinger that M he had cleaned up
Seattle he wanted him to clean uD the
land office. Ballinger proceeded to
relate the conditions OF the abuses
existing in the land office when he
took hold and how he installed new
regulations regarding the Alaskan
lands to prevent q monopoly. Deny
ing the charges made by special agent
Jones. CLAWS witness. Ballinger
classified him az "knocker" and said
he had Knocked" against his own
brother-in-law.
Room Was Crowded.
The room Yves crowded when Balm
ger stood ND and was sworn by Chair
man Nelson in formal way This
10 R. A. Ballinger. secretary Of the
Interior" was Mr.. .vortrees first ques-
s ton. & ,.s- IS.
'Yes. sir" replied Mr.. .Ballinger. He
then proceeded to give q brief bio
graphical sketch OF himself. He read
kilograms from Senator Piles of Wash
ington. Secretary Garfield and from
President Roosevelt. They all wen,
To- show that Mr.. Ballinger had no,
sought the office. but that he accepted
It after consulting with his law firm
It the urgent solicitation of Garfield
and Roosevelt. He had assisted II
organising the pioneer mining compa
ny. OF Nome, Alaska, in 1904. Tha
was the exteent Of his firms bushes.
ID Alaska.
Made DIG Sacrifice.
He considered that he made grea
personal sacrifice in becoming com
missioner Of the land office in March
1907, he said. But did so becaus
Roosevelt had expressed q desire t
have such man ut the head of tn
land office. Ballinger said that whe1
he came to Washington Roosevelt :
to him. Il am glad that you are j i
Anybody who could clean up Seattle a
you did. can clean up the land office.
II understood that / would have
carry on some heroic methods" sal
Ballinger. He told OF discoverin
100000 In the hands OF receivers {
public moneys, which was not proper
" protected. He had this none
brought into the treasury.
81 RE said he did not know Clarenc
Cunningham. when he came into III
office and had no knowledge Of co,
lands In Alaska. In fact the land o
flee knew very little OF the actual fiel
condition. Touching on the statemeI
OF CLAWS, made before the committt
10 the effect that he had given IL
names OF the claimants Of the CO.
lands to Ballinger II 1907. the latt'
characterized Il as q deliberate ar
wilfull lie"