The Oskaloosa herald. (Oskaloosa, Mahaska County, Iowa) 1885-1919, 1910-03-03
SAYS BALL|NGER
DECEIVED TAFT
awwf,ST, = =:
Pinchot Is Witness Before Inves-
tigating Committee.
DECLARES SECRETARY UNFIT
Was pisloyaI to President In Order
That He Might Wreck Con-
servation and Should Be
... Dismissed.

Ballinger- Pinchot investigating COM
mittee, charged r. A. Ballinger, secre,
tary of the interior, with falsehood
and disloyalty to President Taft and
the people and declared he should be
dismissed from Office.
The introduction of Mr.. Pinchot's
sensational statement was followed by
the swearing of the former forester
as a witness.
Recital Is Dramatic.
The statement which Mr.. Pinchot
read with dramatic effect outlined the
story which he expects to relate in
detail before his testimony is COM
pleted. ... a-..
when this story has been told, "
said Mr.. Pinchot without raising his
voice or indicating that he regarded it
other than a mere matter-of-fact
preface, land the witnesses whom I
shall ask you to call have been heard,
you will realize that the interests of
the people are not safe in Mr. Bal
fingers hands, and that the country
will demand of this committee a YER
dict in harmony with the general con-
viction that the secretary of the in
terror has been unfaithful both to the
public, whose property he has en-
dangered, and to the president, whom
he has deceived"
Pinchot declared he would show
that Ballinger entered Office with the
clear purpose of overturning the
Roosevelt policy of safeguarding water
power sites and spoke of the impera-
tive duty Of getting rid of an unfaith-
full public servant"
Conservation Is Wrecked.
The conservation movement begun
under the administration of President
Roosevelt was progressing splendidly
up to the time that President Taft and
Secretary Balhnger came into office,
declared Mr.. Pinchot. He charged
that in less than a month thereafter
Secretary BallinGer had practically
broken the backbone of the central
idea of the conservation movement by
restoring previously withdrawn water
power sites to the public domain and
laying them open to private appropria-
ton and monopolistics control.
Subordinates Are Coerced.
The reservations by, Mr.. Ballinger
were made without any investigation
of the subject whatever, said Mr.. Pin.
chot, and he charged the secretary
with having deliberately ordered the
officers of the reclamation service
against their will to recommend that
some of the reservations should be
made.
Concerning the CLAWS charges in
the Cunningham coal cases Mr.. Pin.
chot said:
Il shall show you how the forest
service became involved IN these
cases and how CLAWS submitted facts
to me. l believed then, as | believe
now, that he told the truth.
Il am convinced now, as was
when he came to me, that CLAWS was
a faithful public servant and that the
facts which he presented prove that
Mr. Ballinger has been unfaithful tc
his trust as servant of the people
and as the guardian of public prop
erty of enormous value.
Acted Only in Light Of Duty.
II shall show you that since
learned the facts you have heard from
CLAWS and others, which | am about
to lay before you, have acted stead
lily in the light Of them, as it was my
duty. both as public officer and as q
citizen. shall show you that in pur
suance of that duty laid before the
president, by word of mouth and in &
letter of November 4, a statement O
my conviction that Secretary Bal
linger has been a dangerous enemy t.
conservation.
Il shall show you that this lettel
was submitted by the president TO Mr.
Ballinger, and that as part Of his repl!
he laid before the president state
ment concerning the Cunningham Goa
cases. which statement is shown b!
undisputed documentary evidence u
be absolutely false in three essentia
particulars. 1t then will appear tina
Mr.. Ballinger willfully deceived thu
president and was disloyal to him..
CLAWS Was Courageous.
81 desire to show you that the stor!
of Claws courageous and successful
fight to protect the property Of tn,
people, which ended In his dismissal
without a hearing, is but singl,
chapter in the history of the publi
lands.
II shall show you that under on
present law and practice the more diff
ficult task falls on those who woul'
protect the public property and not OF
those who would despoil 1t. and tina
under the present system the betraya
into monopoiistic control OF what be
longs to all OF us is made easy AM
often, in practice, inevitable"
Replete with Sensations.
Mr.. Pinchot's first hours on the VIII
ness stand were as repiete with sensa
tons as had been promised. and tn
suffocating crowd in the hearing room
listened intontly to every word.
IIis recital had not progressed IA
when there came an objection iron
| Mr.. HallinSsTs attpyAex ~ n ths MI