The independent-reporter., 1910-05-05
MORE FACTS ABOUT
CONSERVATION
Geo. Otis Smith Contin-
ues his Testimony
Told How Much Coal the Government
Still Owns

George Otis Smith continued his
testimony before the Pinchot- Balling
er committee Friday, and made some
very interesting statements about con-
seryation policies. There We're also
startling allegations about conspiracy
on the part of Chief Forester Pinchot
to boost Secretary Ballinger from Of
fee. The following report is from the
New York Tribune:
Mr.. Ballinger was present at the
hearing for the first time, and was
ready to take the stand, but this was
prevented by the cross-eXamination of
George Otis Smith, director of the Geo
logical Survey which was not finished
until after the usual hour of adjourn
ment.
Mr.. Smith was the only witness eX-
amined. Although he was put through
an exhaustive cross-examination by
George W. Pepper, attorney for Mr..
Pinchot, his evidence esta ablishing the
existence as long ago as last July OF
conspiracy in the Forest Service to
force the retirement of Secretary Bal
linger was not shaken. Mr.. Smith
said he had a high regard for Mr..
Pinchot, but his differences with the
former Chief Forester as to what con
stituted a proper conservation policy
were deep-seated and radical. He de-
clared that Mr. Pinchot's enthusiasm
played havoc With his judgment. He
cited instances OF Mr.. Pinchot's desire
TO ride roughshod over the law and
precedents. and said that he and Mr..
Mr.. Pinchot came TO parting of the
ways on the proposition that the end
justifes the means. He said he bore
no personal i'll will toward Mr.. Pinchot
and intimated that the former Chief
Forester would be valuable public
official if properly restrained and kept
within the bounds of the law.
Referring to the interview between
Mr.. Smith and Mr.. Pinchot, at which
the former Chief Forester threatened
the Director of the Geological Survey
with the publicity club" unless he
joined the Pinehot propaganda, Mr.
Pepper asked the witness if he re-
garded this as a kind of blackmail Mr.
Smith replied that when a man for
whom he had less regard than he had
for Mr. Pinchot used similar tactics he
had used the word "blackmail." When
MIR. Pepper suggested that possibly
Mr.. Smith had twisted his strata In
his Interpretation of what Mr.. Pinchot
really meant to convey. Mr.. Smith re-
Piled: No, you cannot get the tilt oi
the strata until you study it over a
considerable area" He added that II
had been the practice of the Forest
Service to retard development of min
eral lands in forest reserves, notwith-
standing its announced policy to the
contrary.
Representative Graham interrogated
Mr.. Smith at some length regarding
the Spokane irrigation congress, and
asked If the attack on Secretary Bal
linger by Ex-Governor Pardee of Cal
ifornia was promoted by Mr.. Pinchot
Mr.. Smith replied that there was every
indication that Governor Pardee was
sort of special pleader' for Mr.
Pinchot at the Spokane meeting.
Mr.. Smith repeated his statement
that Mr. Pinchot had asked him to vio-
late the law by using money appro-
priated for topographic surveys in the
preparation of certain maps desired by
the Forest Service, and declared that
Mr. Pinchot threatened Ito show up
the Geological Survey in the newspa-
pers if the request was denied. Mr.
Smith said that ON one occasion Mr.
Pinchot told him that Secretary Bal
linger was foolng him (Smithl
and that he (SmthD was easy. Mr.
Smith said he replied that so long as
his recommendations were being fol
lowed he was not concerned about be
ing fooled. and would even plead gull
ty to being easy
Much of Mr. Smiths testimony was
devoted to giving a history of water
power site Withdrawals and restora-
tions. The witness also went into
some detail in an explanation of the
value and extent of the coal deposits
He minimized the relative importance
of the coal in the Cunningham claims
Mr.. Smith said that one thousand bill
lion tons of coal are still in the owner
ship of the government of the United
States. while three million million
tons are in public and private owner
ship in this country. 1t was essential
he said, to the development of the Pa
cific Coast. to the maintenance of the
navy and to Alaska that the coal fields
in Alaska be developed. 1t was not
real conservation to carry coal from
the Eastern part of the United States
to the Pacific Coast, thus consuming in
the transportation one-fifth the
amount of the coal shipped. New
centres of coal should be opened and
developed.
Senator Sutherland suggested that
the Dlacinp of water mower sites in
cold storage" would tend to exhaust
the coal supply. Mr.. Smith replied
that this was true True conserva-
ton. he said demanded that the power
of the streams be utilized, to the end
that the coal fields should be con
served.
81 hnnn., ~ r,AI.- Dnrunr. "a