The watchman and southron. [volume] (Sumter, S.C.) 1881-1930, 1910-02-12
P|NCH0T EXPOSES GRAFT.
TEMPORARY CHIEF FORESTER
FLAYED BY PREDECESSOR.
Soiicitor of the Department of Agri-
culture Accused by DepOsed For
ester OF Issuing Secret Orders to
Abolish Ranger Schools-Misrepre.
sentation Also Alleged.

New York, Feb. 9.-Gifford Pin
chot deposed chief forester of the
United States, but still loyal to his
policies as president of the national
conservation commission, defended
the rangers of the forest service In
speech delivered before the Nation
al Arts Club, in New York, and bit
terly assailed the action of George p.
McCabe. solicitor of the department
or agriculture, who as temporary
CHIEF after Pinchots dismissal, took
action to abolish the collegiate train
in- Of foresters at government ex-
pense. This action Mr.. Pinchot de-
scribed as secret attack on the
service, prostitution Of the law. a
method so effectively used by special
interests against the people and a
cruel and needless loss"
He spoke. in part, as follows:
Now let me give you the best IL
lustration I have seen in recent years
of how public officer under pretext
OF obedience to the law may traffic
with 1t and abuse it to the public in
jury.
Upon my dismissal the solicitor of
the department Of agriculture Geo.
r. McCabe) pending the arrival of
another officer from the field, was
made acting forester for three or
four days. 1t appears that he learn
ed then Of the ranger schools at the
four State universities and sent tele-
grams to the disbursing officer in the
held to pay no expense connected
with them. These kilograms were
Kept secret from every member in
the service in Washington, except the
stenographer, who wrote them. With
equal concealment from all the men
In the forest service a letter was pre-
pared and sent to the comptroller
asking for speedy advance decision
as to the legality of the ranger
schools. This letter was clearly IN
tended, and was so framed, as to Sc
cure decision against the schools,
and 1t was successful in doing so.
This letter is Misrepresentation
because it omits to state the central
essential and incontrovertible facts,
First, that the forest survey must
have trained rangers, and, second,
that it can get them only by training
them after they enter the service"
Referring to Mr.. McCabe's action
Mr.. Pinchot says:
Both as solicitor and acting for
ester, he was in honor and duty
bound to forward the work of the
forest service ~ every lawful means
at his command. BY his official po-
sition he was its counsel and advo-
cate. Yet he made no attempt to as
sist the service in this matter. On
the contrary he led the secret attack
upon 1t and used anxious and success
full care that no attempt to defend
Its course should be made by any
other man. The men Of the forest
service were first informed that the
legality Of their work was in question
only after adverse judgment had been
rendered without giving them any
hearing whatsoever.
II am not concerned with the mo-
tive behind this indefensible sacrifice
Of the public welfare. 1t is a typical
illustration Of certain way to obey
the law. or course, it is not obed-
ience to the law at all, but the pros
titution Of the law. 1t is the method
so effectively used by the special in
terests against the people, and there
Is nothing to be said in its favor"