Evening times-Republican. [volume] (Marshalltown, Iowa) 1890-1923, 1910-03-02

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that would have made it impossible for
me to have given my consent. He as
sumed the authority that was mine, to
discipline officers of my department.
Mr.. Pinchot says it was Jan. 3 that we
making point as to dates. It may
have been the third or the fourth. We
did have the talk.
Ever since that order by the pres
ident, it has been the custom when
congressman asked for information
from the officers Of my department for
the officers to come to me and tell me
that a congressman wanted to know
this or that. 1 have always told Them
to go ahead and give the necessary
information. Nobody ever came to me,
however as Mr.. Pinchot says he did,
to get a general order, to send In any
thing they pleased. / don't remember
ever having refused any officers re-
quest to give specific Information.
"Mr. Pinchot didn't tell me he was
going to send letter Of that kind,
dealing with the president He said he
was going to send. something to Sen
ator Dolliver regarding departmental
matters. If he had said he was going
to pass upon the president and to judge
the confession made to him by Mr..
Price, don't think he would have ever
sent that letter. They kept this Shaw
business from me. I didn't know any
thing about it,
Could Not Get Report.
Secretary Wilson said he had tried
for two months or more to get a re-
port from Mr.. Pinchot concerning the
alleged activity of the forest service
in the CLAWS matter. He said Mr.. Pin
chot kept delaying making a report to
him.
"And what did he finally bring me?"
the witness resumed. "He set Shaw
and Price to work to prepare a report
to him for some reason or other. This
report was nothing more than their
opinion of their own work.
"Now, gentlemen, I know compare
lively nothing of what you are consid-
ering here. / have read something about
it in the papers and know what the
president has said, Mr. Pinchot wants
you to believe that because I raised
no objection to his writing letters to
Senator Dolliver regarding Depart
mental matters that he had a right to
write what he did. He had no such
authority from me. knew nothing of
it. The question before this committee
is: Did he have my consent to write
that letter.
HE did not I never saw it. never
heard of it until read it in the con-
gressional record"
The cross examination Of Secretary
Wilson was begun by Attorney Pepper,
but it was soon taken out of his hands
by the four democratic members of the
committee, who took turns about in
plying the cabinet officer with ques-
tions. The republican members took
practically no part in the examination.
In reply to Attorney Pepper Secretary
Wilson said he would forgive Mr. Pin
chot for his assumption Of authority to
discipline subordinates of the forest
service, but that he could not forgive
the aspersions on the president.
"Mr Pinchot complains that he did
not get a hearing by the president"
added Secretary Wilson. HE shut the
door himself when he sent that letter
to Senator Dolliver."
Did you tell Mr.. Pinchot regarding
the order of the president forbidding
subordinates to give out information
that you and he would have no trouble
about it?"
"That is all new to me- I don't say
that I refused to concur in Mr.. Pin
chot's request to send letter regard
ing departmental affairs"
Secretary Wilson was Intercepted
by the democratic members as to his
recollection of instructing Mr. Pinchot
to strike out of letter of transmittal,
all reference to the Dolliver letter. The
secretary insisted he did not remember