Los Angeles herald., 1910-03-05

bhb ihO buptIO tlOQutIlCt Ol lIlG Ups,
there can be not enough AS Julia LIE
tress asked: Does that Letter indicate
hostility to the general policy of con-
| serYation?"
"In my judgment, it does"
Point out single statement to
that effect"
Mr.. Pinchot said it was impossible
to make judgment on single state
ment. The whole thing had to be ta-
ken together.
The witness was asked If 1t was
known when Garfield withdrew the
huge tracts of land for water power
| sites that nine-tenths Of the lands so
withdrawn were not needed and would
have to be restored.
Mr.. Pinchot said he did not know
the exact figures. He would not ad-
init that the large withdrawals were
more than necessary, however.
The Withdrawals were made largely
because there had not been time TO
make proper investigation.
The witness frankly stated it had
been his policy to withdraw lands for
forest ranger stations when they were
not needed for that purpose, but were
withdrawn to protect possible power
Sites
80 that was your policy and Secre-
tary Garfield's?"
Eyes, sir; and President Roosevelt's
and Secretary Wilson's.
Vertrees passed some time with the
witness as to the charge that Bal
linger had deceived the president re-
garding an opinion of the comptrol-
Ter of the treasury on the subject Of
agreement between the forestry SER
vice and the interior department re-
garding Indian lands. He brought out
the fact a copy of the -comptroller's
decision referred to Mr.. Ballinger had
been sent to the president.
Believes President Deceived
'There is nothing here to show that
the president read that decision" de-
clared Pinchot, land the unavoidable
inference is that Mr.. Ballinger de-
ceived the president, because the pres
ident said in his letter to Mr. Ballinger
September 13, Your declination to
carry out the contract was made |
necessary by a ruling OF the comp |
troller.'"
The witness contended the decision |
sent to the president did not cover the |
cooperative agreement as to Indian
lands.
Senator Flint asked the witness If
the statement submitted by Mr.. Bal
linger in regard to the cooperative
agreement was not fair one, and if
Tue pdptlS HuDlhlNt1u NNit iiOl ali lbdl
should have been submitted
II know of no other documents that |
should have been sent"
And the statement was a fair one?" |
Pretty fair-for Mr. Ballinger's |
point of view'
Attorney Pepper-But is there any
thing In the statement TO show that |
the comptroller continued to pass ac-
counts under the agreement?
Mr. PiOCnOt-NO and I understand /
that within the last two weeks he has
approved some of these accounts.
Vertrees, in reply to questions from
members of the committee, and to
clear up a misunderstanding, stated
that the cooperative agreement which
Ballinger voided was one by which
Indian office employees had been placed
under the absolute control of the for
est service
Authority Only in Question
He said there had never been any
question as to the reimbursement of
funds to one department from another
for services rendered by that depart
ment. II was the delegation of author
fty and control to which Mr.. Ballinger
called attention, and in which he be-
lieved himself to have been upheld by
the comptroller.
At 2 o'clock in the afternoon the
went into executive session
to discuss the proposed modification of
the rule relating to the handling of
the public documents sent in from
various departments.
During the recess the hearing room
was cleared.
The public session reopened at 2:25
o'clock. 1t was said that an agreement I
with the attorneys for a more liberal
use of documents was reached
prauraa aWar
Vertrees called Pinchot's attention to
the fact that in his direct testimony
he declared that Special Agent Love {
had indignantly denied" that he had
clear-listed the Cunningham claim.
Where did you get that informa-
tion?" asked the attorney.
From Mr.. Loves letter to Commits /
sioner bennett"
Does Love in that letter indignant
" deny anything?"
He denies the clear-listing in effect,
but noG Indignantly"
Mr.. Vertrees again questioned the
witness regarding his assertion that
Mr.. Ballinger In report to the pres
dent concerning the Cunningham coal
cases had been guilty of falsehoods
n three essential particulars.
Mr.. Pinchot reiterated that he had
BASED his charge on copy of a letter 6
)f Mr. Ballinger's former law part G
her, which had been sent by MIR. Bal &
niger to the president. I
Mr.. Pinchot Gifted the letter writ s
EN- by Mr.. Ballinger to the president {
4, in which the secretary i
stated that a report submitted to him
~ H. II. Schwartz, chief of the field I
service, "does not bear out the as I
that patents were held up to t
he protest of Agent Claws" I
Mr. Pinchot said that further along S
Mr.. Ballinger clearly showed that i
lear listing of the claims had been 4
made upon q wire from CLAWS. r
Adjournment was then taken until Q
omorrow at 10 a. m. 4
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