Evening journal., 1910-01-12
Wednesday, January II. 1910
THE DISMISSAL oF PINCHoT.

II HE Forest Service of the United States
4 constitutes Bureau of the Agricultural
Department under Secretary Wilson, and has
been directed for many years by Mr. Clifford
Pinchot a man of ability and character who has
built UP this service TO a remarkable degree, and
by his skill and energy in developing the i'm
portant questions of conservation, has justly
s. e2rned very general commendation.
witIfnfortunately, the activities of Mr. Pinchots
rcu have not been confined of late to its own
nay wral field. When the new Secretary of the
9 interior under the Taft administration, the Hon.
Richard A. Ballinger, succeeded former Secre-
tary Garfield, great deal of friction developed
between the Bureau of Forestry and the De-
partment of the Interior due to the fact that the
subordinate forest officers publicly attacked in
very severe terms the administration of the In
terror Department and particularly in reference
TO the proper steps to be taken to prevent the
unrestricted pre-emption of water powers and
of the Alaska coal fields. The Secretary of the
Interior has specifically denied all these allega-
tions, and courts a thorough investigation of
the affairs OF his Department which is to be
made by Joint committee of Congress.
It is to be observed here that for obvious rea-
sons, President Taft few months ago issued
an executive order prohibiting subordinate Of
lcers in all Departments of the government from
giving out information and from discussing
questions connected with the public service ex-
cept through the heads of the Departments
One of the Forest Service subordinates, Mr.
CLAWS, was dismissed sometime since for form
( ulating charges against the Interior Depart
ment which could not be substantiated; and
Mr.. Pinchot, when called upon by the Secretary
of Agriculture to make report in connection
with two other subordinates, Messrs. Shaw and
Price, instead of obeying such direction, wrote
a long letter to a Senator for the purpose of
having his communication read in the Senate and
thus become part of the Congressional Rec
ord
In this letter, Mr. Pinchot not only justified
his subordinates in violating the Presidents or
der on the ground of the vital importance TO
the country at large of preventing coal lands
and water powers from being absorbed by
greedy SPECTATORS but went still further and
attacked the administration in plain terms.
Mr.. Pinchots action taken in opposition
TO the advice and direction of his superior, Secre-
tary Wilson, and was a distinct violation of the
executive order This open defiance of the Pres
idents authority by a subordinate officer of one
of the Departments, naturally could not be over
looked, and Mr.. Taft sent very temperate, log
lcal and dispassionate communication to Sec
retary Wilson instructing him to dismiss from
the United States Service both Mr.. Pinchot and
his two subordnates.
The Presidents action seems to meet with
general commentator of the press and of the
country, and the investigation soon to begin will
develop the truth or falsity of the Forest Ser
vice allegations against the Secretary of the In
terror and the administration of his Office