Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1910-03-02

"Of course Mr.. Pinchot." he added.
may have had things in his mind that !
didn't He was up in this work and /
was not. He said he wanted to get some-
thing in the Congressional Record at the
same time that the Presidents message
transmitting Attorney General Wicker
sham's findings in favor of Mr.. Bamnger
were sent to the Senate
Secretary Wilson thought Mr.. Pinchot' S
letter would refer to conservation, per-
haps. He said he advised against the
method of blanketing the Presidents mes
sage which Mr.. Pinchot proposed and did
not acquiesce in Mr.. Pinchot writing such
a letter as he did. He earnestly advised
against that method of bringing things
about.
Secretary Wilson was here excused and
| the cross-examination of Mr. Pinchot
was begun by Attorney Vertrees.
| Mr.. Vertrees sought to develop the in
| ference that Mr.. Pinchot felt aggrieved
at his dismissal from the government
| service. Mr.. Pinchot objected to this line
Of questioning. He said he was not in
subordinate, however and he felt to that
extent an injustice had been done him.
Mr. Vertrees accused Mr.. Pinchot of hav'
| ing entered the field of malicious ac-
cusations,'' but Mr.. Pinchot said that
while he believed his dismissal was not
| justified, it left him with no bitterness.
He declared it great national question.
The witness insists that he did not
| blame Secretary Ballnger in the slight
est degree for his dismissal, although
| naturally the controversy with Mr.. Bal
linger had led to it. Mr.. Nertrees read
three statements from letter addressed
by Mr.. Pinchot to Mr.. Taft at the time
that CLAWS was seeking an interview with
the President
You state that by official action your
office stopped the issuance Of patents to
the Cunningham claimants" said Mr..
Vertrees. "Is that true?"
THAT was mistake" said Mr.. Pinchot.
Secondly" said Mr.. Vertrees. you
stated to the President that as a result
of Mr.. Ballinger's action in restoring wa
ter power sites withdrawn by Sec. Gar
field valuable lands containing power
sites had passed from the government.
Is that true?"
THAT was a mistake" answered Mr.,
Pinchot
Lastly" said Mr.. Vertrees, "yon told
the President that you had known Claw.
for several years. That also was a mis-
take, wasn't it?' IS.
Il thought l had before seeing him at
Spokane last August. l had known Of
him."
Asked if the whole framework of his
letter to the President was not inaccur.
ate, Mr.. Pinchot replied:
THE question whether 1 made mistakes
or not is net essential The President
would have seen CLAWS anyway.
Mr.. Vertrees sought to draw out from
the witness the fact that there was gen
eral movement on foot to discredit Sec.
Ballnger.
Il don't recognize a movement against
Mr.. Ballinger," he said.
Are not you and Mr.. Garfield and
Shaw and Price and CLAWS and others
in a movement to cause the removal of
Mr.. Balinger and to bring about his Of
fetal destruction?"
IF you ask me if We are all in a move
ment to conserve the natural resources
no matter who the movement hurts, L will
reply yes
And you say you regard Mr.. Balm
ger as one of the chief obstacles to the
conservation movement and you are try
ing to remove him.
I'VE started in to reform him." replied
Mr.. Pinchot, amid laughter.
Failing in that you are going to try
to remove him, are you?"
We are going to place the facts before
the committee
Asked as to what MT. Ballinger had
done to show himself an enemy to conser-
walton, Mr.. Pinchot declared that he had
done this by refusing to create ranger
sites on the public lands, that he had re-
stored water power sites to entry and that
he had tried to force through the Gun
ningham claims.
At this point an adjournment was taken
until 10 A. NJ. Friday.
1000 HOMELESS.