Bluefield evening leader. [volume] (Bluefield, W. Va.) 1906-1911, 1910-09-07
THE MAN BALLiNGER TRIED TO
CRUSH.

The power Of Public opinion was
never better displayed than in the APP
pointment OF DR.. Joseph A. Holmes
His genius created the Department
and nobody thought OF any other man
in connection with the place, until Bal
linger undertook to kill snakes" 1t
seemed that Ballinger was 80 strong
that nothing could prevent his defeat
OF Holmes, and solely because Holmes
would not Join in the warfare being
waged against Garfield and Pinchot
He had not been partisan but in per-
sonal friendship and sympathy for
conservation he was in sympathy with
Garfield and Pinchot Therefore Bal
linger determined to destroy him and
persuaded the President not to appoint
Holmes. But Public Opinion was SUI.
perior to Ballinger's hate and to Taft's
acquisense in Ballinger's spleen.
The Baltimore Sun. in it's leading edi-
torial in Sundays paper, thus dis
cusses Ballinger's defeat.
I'm appointing DR.. Joseph A.
Holmes director OF the newly created
Bureau OF Mines President Taft has
done tardy justice to faithful Off.
cial. DR.. Holmes has been for years
one OF the most earnest workers and
original investigators in the Geological
Survey. His monumental exhibit of
..H
mines and mining at the st. Louis
Worlds Fair first brought him into
national notice. His investigations
into the utilization OF coal and other
fuels in order to prevent the great loss
OF energy, power and heat by the pres
ent wasteful methods Interested man
nfacturers. His experiments into the
safety and effectiveness of explosives
has been OF practical value. But the
undertaking with which his name has
been most closely associated is the eff
fort TO prevent the accidents that have
killed and manned thousands of work
ers in our coal mines.
agents Of the survey ascertained
the methods adopted by the older
mines in England, Germany, Austria
and France. They gathered safety APP
paratus from all parts OF the world
They inspected the American mines
and considered the difficulties peculiar
to them. Wherever practical appa-
ratus could be found il was adopted
and where none existed they get TO
work to invent the safety devices re-
qnired. With the aid OF stricter laws
and the state aupthorities, they have
sought to make the mines safer by
ventilation, careful use OF explosives
and instruction OF mine workers. In
this movement they have had the cor.
dial cooperation OF the mine owners.
and marked improvement I'm condi.
tons has speedily resulted.
This work has been done under the
direction OF DIR. Holmes. and its prac-
teal value was so thoroughly demon.
strated that owners and employees alike
petttioned for the establishment OF n
permanent Bureau OF Mincs rhe de-.
mand was so general that Congress at
its last session provided for the estab-
lishment Of the new bureau. Neither
those who urged it's creation nor the
congressman who voted the appropri.
atiop believed for a moment that any
OTHER man than Or. Holmes would be
considered for chief Of the bureau. II
was created 10 perpetuate and carry
on the work he developed.
But the Bureau OF Mines is in tho
department Of the Interior, and the
Secretary OF the Interior demanded
me position for one OF his favorites.
Dr. Holmes has been the close friend
~ Clifford PincLrt and Jas. A Gar.
held. He had refused 10 take any
part IN the 'BalHnger- Pinchot contro.
Versy' lie had never attacked secre.
tary Ballinger, but his failure 10 ioin
WIN other Interior Department aids
IN The defense Of Balllnger and tho
attack on Pinchot aroused the hitter
resentment OF BalIinger He was deter.
mined that Holmes should not receive
the appointment When the secro.
tary was unable to secure the place
ior the man he favored the new bu.
reau was left without chief Tic
sought to humiliate Dr. Holmes by
placing II under George Otis Smith
70 DC run as a minor branch of tho
Geological Survey.
This effort Of Ballinger to crush
ont an able official aroused the minlns
element and mine owners, mine work