Bonners Ferry herald. [volume] (Bonners Ferry, Idaho) 1904-current, 1910-01-15
PINCHOT IS FIRED
PRESIDENT TAFT Objected To
HIS METHODS.
Chief Forester Made Attack on Taft in
Halls of Congress-So President Re
taliated by Removing Him-Bitter-
ness Is Expected Now-Ballinger Not
Afraid-Pinchot' Annual Report.


Washington.-Gifford Pinchot, chief
forester and intimate friend of Theo
dore Roosevelt, has been dismissed
from the service of the United States
by President Taft for insubordination.
Associate Forester Overton W.. Price
and Assistant Law officer Alexander
Z. Shaw, Pinchot's immediate assist
ants in the forestry bureau, followed
their chief out of government employ.
Thoroughly indignant over the action
of Mr.. Pinchot in inducing Senator
Dolliver to read a letter from him in
the senate, President Taft would listen
to no advice that the forester IS viola
ton of executive orders be overlooked
pending the inquiry soon to be under
taken by congress. He declared the
dignity of the presidential Office was
being attacked and he would be un-
faithful to his trust if he submitted
longer
Mr.. Taft undoubtedly realizes fully
what the dismissal of Forester Pinchot
means in a political way. He has been
convinced for some time that the So
called "insurgents and other critics
of his administration had enlisted the
services of Mr.. Pinchot and practically
were defying him to dismiss Pinchot
from office. The latter's letter of yes
terday, few here doubt, was written
with the direct purpose of quitting it
squarely up to the president"
The president sought to avoid the
threatened war as long as he could,
but declared that patience had ceased
to be virtue. He picked up the gaunt-
let of battle thrown down by Mr..
Pinchot through the hand of Senator
Dolliver in the senate, and, with the
administration supporters, is ready for
the coming fray.
Pinchot to Fight.
Clifford Pinchot, who was removed
from Office by President Taft as chief
forester, made it clear later in ad-
dresses to the officers of the forestry
service and the clerks of that organ
ization that his battle with the secre-
tary of the interior and the administra-
ton was not ended. Declining to ex-
press a personal opinion about his re-
moval from office, he also refused to
discuss business plans for the future.
Mr.. Pinchot arrived at his office
early in order to arrange his affairs
and withdraw as quickly as possible.
A meeting of the officials who had
been under him had already been ar
ranged for 1915 O'Clock, and three
quarters of an hour later the clerical
force of the forest service arrived in
his Office to say goodby.
In addressing those with whom he
had been most intimately associated
Mr.. Pinchot declared he wanted them
to remember, first, that they must
never forget that "the fight in which
you are engaged for the safe and de-
cent handling of our timber lands is
infinitely larger than any mans per
-sonal present or personal FUTURE
Pinchot's Annual Report
In his annual report, Clifford Pinchot
shows the total expenditures made OF
account of the forestry service for the
hoSdA y SdA CAQtu JuuO OO ldob W Ut
$3,936,297, while receipts from all
sources credited to the forestry service
aggregated. $1,S07 ,27O. This latter
amount was derived largely from graz
ing privileges and sales of timber.
The report gives an exhaustive re
view of work done by the forestry
service and is replete with statistics
1t says the total stand of natural for
est timber reported last year as 800,
000,000,000 feet was increased in the
year by 1O,0OO,0O0,O0O feet. This does
not include the timber in the two ma
tional forests in Alaska, extent Of
which is unknown.
Mr.. Pinchot says that 5000, 100000
feet of lumber are destroyed annually
by insects, fungi and borers. The tota
area of the national forest reserves il
1914, $685. 1926 acres.
Ballinger Not Afraid.
81 have nothing to fear from thor
ough determination of the facts" say
Secretary Ballinger. 60 may have com
mitted errors of judgment in one wa,
or another, as any man might while il
the public service, but 1 am firm in m,
knowledge that no improper motive ha
ever influenced me in any action hav'
taken.'
The secretary remarked that he no
only wanted to have his own conduc
investigated but desired also to hav,
the same course followed Gin relation
to the other fellow,
Broken Rail Caused Wreck.