Evening journal., 1910-01-26
BALLINCER
FIGHT IS ON
Joint Senate and House Com
mittee is COnVening This
Afternoon
L. R. CLAWS SUMMONED
AS FIRST WITNESS
CHARGES AGAINST

=
CHARGES AGAINST
~BALLlNGER. !
overturning Of the Roosevelt
conservation policies.
Restoring water power sites to
entry to favor the "water power
trust"
Affiliation with Morgan Guaqen-
helm combine and misuse Of office
to permit their grabbing coal lands I
in Alaska.
Suppression Of facts in oonnec-
ton with coal land claims IN 1
Alaska.
Acting as attorney for Clarence
Cunningham whose ALLEGED fraud
ulent claims for Alaska coal I
lands IS now before his depart 1
ment for action.
Favoring the "interestsH as against !
the people.
CHARGES AGAINST PiNcHor. /
Running the forest service to fur !
ther personal ends.
Pernieious activity in waainu =
campaign Of villification against :
the Interior Department. )
Exceeding the letter of the law .
IN his conduct Of the Forest Ser .
vice. =
!.
Trying 70 run the Interior Depart
ment, according to Ballinger. "a
vicious demagogue who sounds a false
alarm which arouses prejudice that
strike at the foundations Of the gov
ernment' according 10 Bailingor.
BY United Press Leased Special Wire.
WASHINGTON. Jan. 26-The ad-
ministration's probe in the Balllnger-
Pinchot controversy is on.
With the meeting this afternoon with
the joint Senate and House commit
tee for the taking OF testimony IN the
investigation Of the conservation
squabble and It's outgrowth of charges
and counter charges, begins what
promises 10 be the biggest overhaulinE
Of the affairs Of government depart-
ments the ventilation since the
famous postal scandals Of seven years
ago.
i. r. CLAWS. former chief 81 the
field division Of the General Land or
fiec WIS summoned this morning IA
tnn FIRST Witness
Two policies are GA triai-the aletter
Of the law" and the "spirit Of tie
statutes with Richard Achilles Ball
linger, Secretary Of tho Interior. align
cd with the former and backed by the
administrations strength and Clifford
Pinchot. former chief forester and his
associates, the champions OF the latter
with the halo Of the Roosevelt poll
cies as their invisible aid.
Twelve men. six Senators-Nelson
(Republican. Minnesota.). Flint (Cali-
formal, Sutherland Republican, Utah.
Root Republican, New York;. Payner
Democrat. kentueky). Fletcher
Democrat. Fiorida). and six Repre-
sentatives-McCall CRepublican, Mass)
Olmstead, (Republican, Penna,). Madi-
son Republican. Kansas,), James
democrat, Kentucky,) and Graham
Democrat, Illinois) constitute the in
vestigating tribunal
Before these men all the parties 10
the controversy must appear and ex-
plain their every action on the mat
.ers at issue. The committee expects
10 start with the FIVE principal figures
Slavis, Secretary Of the Interior Bal
niger. former Chief Forester Pinchot.
'x-associate Forester Overton w. Price
md a. W. Shaw, late assistant law Of
lcer Of the Forest Service-all the last
hree having been dismissed from Of |
ice BY Presidential edict
All will be examined and the commit |
ee or at least a portion Of 1t win prob |
lbly make trip through the West |
md TO Alaska during the summer to |
Iecure evidence on the ground. A re- |
lort Of the findings therefore, Is not I
until the next session Of Con- /
gTess. Operating under an authorize |
ion from Congress which gives It /
all the powers Of Federal /
'ourt, and makes mandatory a minutes I
lelving to every ramification Of the |
there are hundreds or I
hem-the committee win 60 to the /
,ottom Of the muck heap.
Hall Is Crowded.
Long before the twelve investigators /
we're in their seats in the big hear
ng room Of the Senatorial ofice Build
ng a crowd had filed every inch Of /
pace and overfiowed into the hail. In
ddtion with a provision Of a Joint
esolntion creating the committee,
ilavis was permitted to bring with
i'm as counsel, L. d. Brandes Of Bos-
on. and Joseph p. Cotton, Of New
-orlS Counsel for Pinchot, Price and
haw Attorney George w. Pepper.
( Philadelphia. was also present.