The Detroit times. [volume] (Detroit, Mich.) 1903-1920, 1910-01-06
||slITlCks IRE
REALLY AIMED
At TAFT
Hep Humphrey, Presents a Resolu-
tion Providing for Congressional
Inquiry Into the Ballinger-
Pinchot Case.
III Interior Secretary or Forester
Is Guilty as Charged He Should
Be Removed He Thunders.

4 WASHINGTON. Jan. On present.
Ing 10 the house today the Joint reso-
luton providing for congressional
Investigation or the Ballinger-Pinchot
controversy. Rep. Humphrey thep.'
Wash. }, said that II had become mat
ter OF settled convection throughout
the country that the attacks ON sec
rotary Ballinger were really attacks
upon the president.
MATTERS have reached an intoier
able stage" he said. IF either OF
these officials is guilty OF the ofenses
charged against them he should be
B removed from the public service.
AS soon as the house convened Rep.
Humphrey obtained the floor and
made a statement in explanation oil
the resolution.
From the first" he said. "Secre-
tary Ballinger has wanted to answer
the charges against him, but the presi-
dent did not want him TO do so. Now
the presidents judgment comedies
with that OF Secretary Ballinger. and
they both think the time has come Tor
full investigation.
1T has become a well-settled CON
viction throughout the country that
these attacks on Secretary Ballinger
are really attacks On President Tart
1T has been charged that these at
tacSs were inspired. IL not actually
prepared. IN the forest service.
1.-THE situation Is intolerable. The
whole matter should be threshed out.
The administration resolution Tor a
congressional investigation OF the Bal
linger-Pinchot controversy was nitro
duced simultaneously In the senate and
house today.
Senator Wesley L. Jones OF Wash
ington, presented the resolution In the
upper house and Representative VIII
liam r. Humphrey. tRep. Wash) In
the lower. Bon these statesmen
are from Secretary BalIinger's own
state.
The measure Is joint resolution
which means that Ii must receive the
signature Of the president TO become
effective.
In the senate. the resolution was
referred to the committee on public
lands and in the house TO the commit
lee on rules IL is planned that these
committees shall both report the re-
solution back TO their respective
houses without delay. in order that
the investigation can be set under way
Immediately. IL Is understood that
there will be no material change IN
the measure in either house.
The resolution is sweeping In It's
character and calls for thorough and
complete investigation OF every
bureau OF the interior department and
the forest service The investigating
committee Is to consist OF twelve
members. six appointed by the vice
president and six BY the speaker.
After the resolution had been read
In the upper house. Senator Jones OF
Washington, explained II at length In
speech eulogizing Secretary Bal
linger and disclaiming any purpose OF
embarrassing" his administration oil
the public lands He said:
-The press and magazines or the
country for several months have been
filed with charges against the present
secretary OF the interior and his con-
duct OF the Office ne holds. THESE
charges range from petty insinuations
and innuendoes TO direct charges OF
nlaIfeasance and misconduct in office,
which II true, show he most unworthi-
ly discharged his trust A moments
iHOuAHl SnOuiQ (dhbC oh hOh~"N N'--
fair-minded man TO hesitate TO accept
such charges against man whose
life heretofore has been one OF the
highest rectitude and against whom
no dishonorable charge has ever been
made In either private or public life.
such man is the present secretary or
tie interior"
The chronology of the Ballinger ar
fair up TO date follows:
Nov. 8. 190s-wm. II. Taft elected
president
Jan. 6, l909-Notice was served on
Jas. q Garfield thar mis- services
would not be required in the Tart
cabinet.
4 Jan. 7-Roosevelt conferred with
Pinchot and Garfield relative to emeT-
gency measures for withdrawing pow
or sites. minerals, etc. from the reach
OF the predatory corporations.
February TO March-Sweeping with
drawals were made of power sites.
mineral, oil, forests and other public
lands.
March 4--Rooseyelt went out CT
Office.
March 4-10--Taft appointed 10 Gar