Martinsburg herald. [volume] (Martinsburg, W. Va.) 1881-1920, 1910-09-10
BALL|NGER UNFIT
FOR JOB He HOLDS
Five of investigating COMMITTEES Con
denim Him in observation-disclosures
ton Raised As TO Quorum.


demnation of the course of Richard
A. Ballinger in the administration of
the Department of the Interior, OF
which he is secretary, and declara.
ton that he should DO longer be re-
tanned in that Office are contained in a
resolution adopted by five members OF
the Congressional Committee which
has been investigating the Balm
ger-Pinchot controversy These five
four Democrats and one Republican,
claim that their vote is binding
upon the committee as a whole. This
however, is disputed by the other
three members of the committee who
were presnt.
But five of the IL members of the
committee voted for the adoption of
the resolution, which was offered by
Representative e. H. Madison. of
Kansas, an insurgent Republican. as
substitute for the one previously
presented by Sena or Duncan q.
Fletcher (DemocraD, of Florida.
Consequently the question has arisen
as to what action if any, the full COM
mittee, when it is present, will take
later
Chairman Declares No. Quorum.
Representative James and Graham,
aud other Democratic members, main.
tain that a quorum was present de.
spite the fact that Chairman Nelson,
Republican, chairman of the commit
tee, had stated in the meeting that
there was no quorum. During the SEES.
sion no member had raised the point
OF no quorum. and Representative
James contends that the adoption OF
the resolutions has the effect of ex-
pres sing the views of a majority.
When the committee met there
were eisss, members present, consti
tuting quorum, but before the voting
on the Madison resolution was
reached, Senator George Sutherland
Republican of Utah, and Represents
tive Samuel w. Mccall, Republican
Massachusetts,, withdrew. Chairman
Nelson remained, but took no part in
the voting.
The Republicans assert that the
withdrawal of Messrs. Sutherland and
Mccall broke the quorum. In this
view Representative Madison joins
He said:
Final action has not been taken
No report has been adopted and a
majority can of course il it sees fit
reverse todays action"
insurqent Offers Resolution.
The resolution as offered by Mr.
Madison and adopted is as follows:
'4First. That the charges made by
L. R. CLAWS against Secretary BALM
ger should be sustained that in the
matter of the disposition of tina Cum
ningham coal lands, Mr. Ballinger was
not faithful trustee of the interests
of the people and did not perform his
duty in such manner as to properly
protect such interests.
Second. That the charges made by
Mr.. Pinchot should be sustained; that
Mt. Ballinger's course in the admins
tration OF the Department OF the In
terror has been characterized by a
lack OF fidelity to the public interests
that this has been shown in his treat
ment OF the Cunningham coal claims
the restoration OF the water power
sites to entry without intention to re-
withdraw and in his administration Of
the reclamation service the latter re-
sulting in unnecessary humiliation ia
int director and tending towards the
d.sintegretion of the service; that he
had not shown himself to be that char
acter of friend to the policy OF conser-
walton of our natural resources that
the man should be who occupies the
important post of Secretary of the In
terror in our Government and that ne
should no longer be retained in that
Office"
N@ttA,-N N@stnr oEoolnM