The evening times. [volume] (Grand Forks, N.D.) 1906-1914, 1910-12-07
Accusers Condemned as Hav,
ing Been Inspired by Feel
ing Of Animosity
The EVIDENCE WHOLLY
FAILED TO make CASE
All Facts Put Together Only Proved
That Ballinger Was . Competent
and Honorable Gentleman Whe
Faithfully Performed Duties

oee' etary OF interior Ballfnger upon
all charges brought against him and
condemning his accusers as having
been inspired by deep feeling Of
animosity built upon supposed dif,
ference in the policy respecting con.
servatlon, a majority Of the conxres.
slonal committee which Unrestricted
the so-called Ballinger- -Pinchot case
To-Day submitted its report to cou-
gress.
After stating that the evidence pre,
sented related in the main to chsfEes
OF various kinds against Ballin4er
and that these came chiefly from two
sources, l. r. CLAWS and Gi@ord
Pinchot, the majority announced the
following conclusion:
That the evidence has wholly fail.
ed to make out a case. Neither anv
fact proved nor all facts put itoxetS.
or exhibit Ballinger as being anythine
but a competent and honorable Ian.
tleman who honestly and faithfullv
performed the duties of his hiea, of.
nee with an eye single to the public
interest"
The report makes the following 900,
cific findings:
That the charges and insinuations
against Secretary Ballinger in reEard
to the Cunningham coal land entries
or other land entries or other coal
land claims in Alaska are not 1uxti-
fed.
THAT he was fully justified In N.
voking the Indian cooperative grant.
THAT restorations Of water power
sites by Secretary Ballinger were
made In good faith and not In enemi-
ty to the government and that no In
Jury appears to have been done to the
government and in case Of the con-
servatton by either restrictions or
Withdrawals.
That, In view Of the opinion Of the
attorney general. he was justified in
abandoning the use Of the 90 called
water users cooperative certificates
In connection with the reclamation Of
arid lands.
THAT the administration Of the
reclamation law presented features
justly subject to criticism. No un-
fair criticism or improper conduct on
Secretary Ballinger's part has been
shown nor any action by him not
within the sound discretion Of the
head OF the interior department, AT.
er setting forth the fact that the en-
tire known coal fields of Alaska, COW.
ering more than 100000 acres. is
still in government ownership, the
report takes up the strife between
Secretary Ballinger and the other Of.
fcials of the government, including
Pinchot. who was deposed as govern.
mont f0roStor Tho
"Your committee finds that the in
terests Of the people as the owners Of
the Alaskan coal field are not threat
ened or endangered under existing
conditions"
AS to the conduct Of CLAWS, the re-
port declares that he had sufficient
time and abundant assistance to make
the field examination which he had de.
manded. In this connection the COM
mittee says:
"If his demand was in good faith,
CLAWS was grossly remiss in his duty
in not having the examination made
then"
The Ballinger-Pinchot Investigation
committee concluded its work today.
The report reporting the views of a
majority of the committee was pre-
sented to both houses Of congress at
the opening at noon. At the same
time the independent report Of the
Democratic members of the committee
and Of Representative Madison Of
Kansas also were submitted. The
conclusions of the Republicans were
submitted to the Democrats at the
meeting Of the full committee held at
10 o'clock this morning. All the Re-
publican members except Representa-
tive Madison had signed the report.
Senator Nelson. chairman Of the com.
mittee. put the majority report to q
vote. The Democratic members. with
Representative Madison, voted against