Democratic messenger. [volume] (Snow Hill, Md.) 1869-1973, 1910-02-19
CLAWS HOLDS HIS
OWN IN PROBE
Little Progress Made IN Coal
Land Investigation.
QUESTION STARTS WRANGLE

Members Of Committee and Lawyers
Have Tilt Over Answers - Waste
Time About Letters and kilograms
Already on File.
Washington. Feb. i7.-Msmbers OF
the Ballinger-Plnchot investiga ting
committee got TO wrangling. Louis II.
CLAWS. who was being crossexamined
By J. J. Vertrees. counsel for Secretary
Ballinger. had answered at consider.
able length n question about the man
ner In which he was relieved Of the
coal investigation. Mr.. vertrees de-
clared that his question had not been
answered. Mr.. Braindeis. counsel for
CLAWS. insisted that II had.
Read the question and the an.
swer." said Mr.. Braindeis to the stem.
ographer.
at is unnecessary" replied Mt.
Root. shortly.
II would like TO have the question
and answer read" reiterated Mr..
Braindeis, with considerable heat.
II object" replied Mr.. Root.
II submit" remarked Representa-
tive James. that counsel has q right
TO have questions and answers repeat
ed. and make motion that they bo
read by the stenoyrapher.
Il second the motion" said Mr. Ora.
ham.
Chairman Nelson put the milton and
only James and Graham voted for t.
Only a short time previously there
had been a tilt between Mr.. Graham
and Mr.. vertrees due again to q de-
claration by CLAWS that he did not
wish Mr.. vertrees to interrupt him.
There Is too much lecturing Of the
witness aud too much fault finding
said Mr.. Graham. coming to the res.
cue Of CLAWS.
~ am not aware OF that fact" re-
piled Chairman Nelson.
well ! believe there is." persisted
Mr.. Graham.
~ am sorry 10 differ with you" re.
turned the chairman.
Mr.. Vertrees then announced with
considerable feeling that he was en-.
titled to an answer to his questions
and that Il was unflir for CLAWS to
lug In arguments TO anticipate what
wish to bring out"
Senator Fletcher Joined the irritable
members OF the committee by lee.
turing Mr.. vertrecs for spending half
an hour questioning CLAWS about the
dates Of letters and kilograms which
were already in the record
CLAWS once more displayed his clev.
erness as a witness when Mr. vertrees
endeavored 10 show that the witness
was dilatory in resuming his investi.
CATION OF the Alaska coal cases after
he had been ordered TO suspend II
because the department appropriation
was running low. Mr.. vertrees spent
nearly half an hour on this point and
quoted letter from Commissioner
bennett. written on May 2s. 1908. in.
forming CLAWS that new appropria.
tion was available and instructing him
To push the work" Mr. Vertrees in.
sisted that this was virtually n blan-
ket order and embraced the Alaska
toot tdStSs bui Hudil. uidNls Chileu at
tention 10 a letter written by r. Fl.
Schwartz to Commissioner bennett on
Sept. % Of the same year expressing
bis belief that the Cunningham claims
were fraudulent and asking that Ola
Wis be allowed TO resume his investi-
cation OF them.
When adjournment was taken until
Friday. CLAWS was being questioned
about the change in the rules OF the
department relating 10 coal land
cases. He declared that standing alone
the changes made would not appear
significant or wrong. but viewed In
connection with the manner in which
the general land ONCE handled the
coal land cases during a long period
the changes were particularly signiti
cant. He declined 10 state. however.
that the changes involved wrongdoins
on the part of any one In the land
ONCE.