Albuquerque morning journal. [volume] (Albuquerque, N.M.) 1903-1926, 1910-11-18
De M0CRATS BUSY
SHARPENING UP
THE PROBE
New House Will Take Lid Off,
Nearly Everything, Including
the Alaskan Land Situation
Morning Journal Bureau,
SIS Munsey Building,

Washington. .. e., Nov. 10.
Take the lid Off" will be the cry
Of the democrats as . as they en-
ter on the first session Of the sixty
second congress.
one Of the most important fnnc-
lions Of the democratic house viii be
investigation Demand will be made
that pretty nearly everything be in
vestigated. This demand will be ac-
coded to.
AT every hand. where the democrats
have been charging the republicans
with taking the questionable course
or with Wron@dOing. the probe Will
BE- set at work. The democratic lead
ers declare il will go To the bottom Of
things, too.
IF the democrats had control Of the
senate. as wen as the house, they
would conduct Investigations more
effectively. Still, it will be possible
to do much on the strength of reso-
iutions Of the house. Joint resolutions
passed by both house and senate. and
signed by the president. would carry
more weight, because they would
have all the force Of law.
The power of q single branch OF
congress to punish Witnesses for m
tempt in failing to answer questions
under oath is open TO some question.
But, at that. the average witness hest
tates to defy a committee of either
branch of congress, and once a com
mittee is set at work, and goes at 1t
in earnest. there will not be much diff
ficulty in getting at the facts.
Among the other things which will
be investigated without doubt is the
conduct of affairs in Alaska, and the
allegations of control Of the Alaskan
government by the ACKNOWLEDGMENT
helm syndicate. the conduct of the in.
terror department under Secretary
Ballinger. and what has been done
toward protecting the public domain.
the circumstances Of the requirement
of the Panama canal, the charges of
eStravagant conduct Of the govern
ment in various particulars. the con-
duct Of the customs service with es-
pecial reference to the sugar frauds.
and various other matters.
It would not be surprising If there
were an inquiry anew into the Ball
ingor-P inchott controversy, or some
phase of II.
AS q general proposition, the demo-
In congress have not been sat
isfied with the republican investiga-
lions, and they are likely to reopen
any matter that has been an
OF fepubtlcun inquiry.
Along the line it will be the demo-
policy to take the lid oft. The
democrats have the notion that If they
uncover the pots and kettles which
the republicans have been tending all
these years they will disclose some
steWs.
And more than this there will go
mp a demand for inquiry by Il demo,
committee into the cost of liv-
ing. for an inquiry into the workings
Of tariff schedules, and for an inquiry
the subject of-railroad capitaliza-
Various trust Inquiries may be
for.
Among other things. the lid is like
~ TO he taken off affairs in the Dis
lrict of Columbia. For a long time.
there has been a demand here for an
into the capitalization Of the
gas company the street railroad COM
p%anies, and the public service corpora
ia general,
Efforts viii be made to get n demo-
cratic house 10 take these things up if |
have not already been disposed !
ol by "A republican congress at the
session this winter.