Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1910-03-02

Mr.. Pinchot said he would decline tc
answer the question unless 1t was put
by the whole committee. A motion tc
tpress the question was put and u11ani-
Ifr1ously carried.
Did you consult with the secretary
before sending that letter." repeated
chairman Nelson.
Il did"
The witness proceeded to explain his
answer by saying that he went to Sec
retary Wilson on Jan. 3 and told him
lSenator Dolliver had requested infor-
lmation from the forestry service and
the secretary made no objection.
I'VE discussed at some length the
fright of Senator Dolliver to get the in
formation from me. AS to the Presi-
dents order forbidding subordinates to
lgive information to Congress Secretary
Wilson said you will have no trouble
about that order or words to that eff
feet 1 believed 1 had his consent.
described to him the situation as to
the controversy between the interior
department and the forestry service.
I told him of the intention of oppon-
ents to magnify what had been done
by Messrs. Price and Shaw, and that
| though the only wise thing for us to
do was to lay our hand down on the
table, admit what we had done and
force the congressional inquiry to the
points it ought to devote ITSELF
| Il was convinced that Secretary Will
son favored my effort to defend Price
and Shaw, although he did not favor
my plan of getting publicity at the
same time the other side did felt
had, however, secured his permission
to write to Senator Dolliver."
Mr.. Pinchot said he had endeavored
to see Secretary Wilson the morning
that his letter to Senator Deliver was
read in the Senate, to submit to him
his letter transmitting to the secre-
tary the reports by Price and Shaw
telling of their transactions with
CLAWS. He did not find the secretary
until the afternoon, however.
The former forester ended his direct
testimony by saying:
IF had had 10 minutes with Presi-
dent Taft-if I had been accorded a
hearing--it would have been easier for
me to have convinced him that | had
been neither disrespectful nor insub-
ordinate and thus I could have avoid
ed the necessity which he felt Of re-
lieving me OF Of the public service"
Cross examination of Mr.. Pinchot
was delayed until Secretary Wilson,
who desired to take the stand at once.
could be heard
The secretary proved impatient at
some of the questions put to him on
cross examination and became some
what mixed as to just what letters
We're being referred to by his question
ers and resentful OF any inference 9TH
er than his own that they wished to
draw from his testimony
Mr.. Vertrees, counsel for Mr.. Balm
ger, undertook the direct examination.
You have heard what Mr.. Pinchot
has said; nave you any statement to
lnake?" he asked.
Some of the things Mr.. Pinchot has
said here-a good many of them" be-
gan Sec. Wilson, ARE correct. But
there are other things that are not
correct" The secretary brought his
fist down on the table with a resoupd-
ing whack. He then continued:
He never got my consent to send
that letter to the Senate There are
two things in it that would have made
it impossible for me to have given my
consent. He attempted to review and
judge the mental processes of thu
President. He also assumed the au-
thority that was mine to discipline Of
ficers of my department. Mr.. Pinchot
says it was Jan. 3 that we talked O.
this matter There is no use making
point As to date. 1t may have been
the third or fourth We did nave the
talk
Ever since that order by the Presi-
dent, it has been the custom when
congressman ask for information from
the officers of my department to come
to me and tell me that congressman
wanted tn know this or that. I have
always told them to go ahead and give
the nect ssary information. Nobody
ever came to, Inc. howcver-and Mr.
Pinchot says he did-to get a general
order to send in anything they pleased
don't remember ever having refused
any officers request to give specific
information as to departmental work
Mr.. Pinchot didn't tell me he was
going to send a letter CO that kind
dealing with the President. He said he
was going to send something to Sena-
tor Dolliver regarding departmental
matters If he had said he was going
to pass upon the President and to Judge
the confession made to him by Mr.
Price. 1 didn't thinl. he would have
ever sent that letter. They kept this
Shaw business from me. l didn't know
anything ABOUT it,
Secretary Wilson said he had tried
for two ,conths or more to get re-
port fro Mr.. Pinchot concerning the
alleged activity of the forest service
in the CLAWS matter. He said Mr.
Pinchot kept delaying making a report
to him.
And what did he finally bring me?"
the witness resumed. He set Shaw and
Price to work to prepare a report to him.
for some reason or other. This report
was nothing more than their opinion of
their own work.
Now. gentlemen, I know comparative
ly nothing of what you are considering
here. l have read something about it II.
the papers and know what the President
has said. Mr.. Pinchot wants you to be-
lieve that because I raised no objection
to him writing letters to Senator Dolli-
Yer eEarding daDartmental departmentS