Los Angeles herald., 1910-02-04
.BALLINGER AND
TAFT REPROVED
ATTEMPT TO MAKE LAWS AND
ARE REPRIMANDED
EVEN REPUBLICAN LEADERS RE-
SENT ENFORCEMENT
Secretary of Interior Tries to Put
Through Bill for Asylum in Alaska
Despite Report Denying
Need of Such
EsnecIal to The Herald.l

WASHINGTON, eb. 3.-The futile
attempt of President Taft and Seere-
tary Ballinger not only to dictate the
legislation OF the present congress, but
actually to introduce their own bills,
brought forth a severe rebuke today
from Democratic and Republican lead
ers in the United States senate, and
has caused considerable political gos-
sip in the national capital,
Following closely on the charge made
by Delegate Wickersham of Alabama,
who declared that Maj. Richardson,
a regular army officer and member
of the Alaskan highway commission,
was allowed to do objectionable lob
by work in ongress-furthering GER
tain administrative policies relative to
the Alaskan coal lands claims and 9TH
er matters-Secretary Ballinger sent
to the senate a bill providing for an
asylum in Alaska-an institute admit
ted by many Alaskans to be entirely
unnecessary.
Secretary Dickinson refused to or
der Mai. Richardson back to his mill
tary duties, or to enjoin him to quit
lobbying" although Delegate Wick
ersham charged he had been subject
to personal abuse at the hands Of
Richardson.
Secretary Ballingers action, closely
following. has added to the interest
in the situation.
simultaneously with Secretary Bal
linger's attempt to push through the
legislation which he declared was per-
sonally requested by President Taft,
Ballinger caused to be made public
report submitted to him by Special
Inspector Dixon. who conducted an
investigation into the treatment of
Alaskan patients.
Denies Need of Asylum
Inspector Dixon has declered that
the charges of insanitation and poor
food conditions were without founda-
tion. In spite of these findings, the
president according to Secretary Bal
linger, advocated the bill creating the
special asylum, and which Secretary
Ballinger endeaVored to introduce.
Senators declare the action of the
secretary practically unprecedented.
The Alaskan insane are confined in
institutions in Portland, maintained
by the Sanitarium company, which is
under contract with the interior de-
partment for this purpose.
The only criticism that the report
makes of these reports refers to the
Morningside asylum which, it is said,
is oyercrowded. This condition, it is
said, soon will be remedied by the
construction of additional buildings.
Although Mr.. Ballinger said he trans
mitted the measure in obedience to the
direction of the president, Senators
Heyburn and Bacon succeeded in OBJ
tanning annulment of reference of the
bill to the committee on territories on
the ground that neither a cabinet Of
ficer nor even the president himself
had authority to introduce bill in
the senate.
Senator Hepburn objected to refer
ence to the bill as "a proceeding not in
conformity with any rule or privilege
of the secretary.
He read the senate rules to demon
strate that no executive official may
address that body except when author
lied by law or through the president.
He construed the act as virtual in
PRODUCTION of the bin by the secre-
tary.
Vice President Sherman declared the
secretary had stated he was acting
for the president and said otherwise
he would have returned the communi-
cation to the writer.
'"The constitution allows the eXecu-
tive to communicate with the senate,
but does not permit him to delegate
that authority" responded the Idaho
senator.
Mr.. Bacon agreed with Mr.. Hepburn,
and added that not even the president
had the right to introduce a bill in the
senate. There was only one way to
accomplish that, he said, and that was
through a senator. To send a bill to
committee was practically to recognize
it's introduction.
He said there was a constant ten
dency on the part of the eXecutice de-
partment to enroach on the legisla-
tive, and he thought such encoach-
ment should be stopped