The Parma herald. (Parma, Idaho) 1903-1917, 1910-01-13
|BALLINGER IN
CURRY IS BEGUN
President Approves Resolution and
Committee viii Be Appointed.
No Limit w'iII Be Put Upon Scope of
inqu'ry-An Facts and Underlying
Motives Viii Have thorough Arr
ins-Departments of interior and
Forestry to Have Rigid Inspection

Washington, Jan. 6.-President Taft
has seen and approved the Jones Hum
phrey resolution Tor the investigation
lby joint committee of the BaIlin0er-
Pinchot controversy, which for time
threatened almost to wreck his admin
istration, and the resolution was intro
duced in each branch of congress yes
to-day. 1t is a resolution purposely de-
signed to give the committee the fullest
scope for its work Its joint authors
are from the state of Washington.
Six senators and six members of the
house will constitute the committee.
They are empowered to make thor
ough and complete investigation of the
interior department, its several bureaus,
Officers and employees, and of the Blu,
reau OF forestry in the agricultural de-
partment. The resolution directs in
quiry into the subjects of "the recla-
nation, conservation, management and
disposal of the public land of the United
states, or any land held in trust by
the United States for any purpose, in
such lands - The usual power to sit
in the recesses of congress, to summon
and compel the attendance of all wit
nesses and to obtain documents is
granted. In other words, if the INQUIRY
IS not as thorough, and if it does not 20
as deeply into the subject matter as
that of any committee ever appointed
by congress, it will not be for want of
authority SO to do.
Not only is authority given TO probe
into the merits of the Ballinger -Pincbot
controversy, SO far as it relates to the
conservation and management of the
public lands, but there is additional
authority sufficient to go beneath the
surface, to find the motive, to ascer-
tam where the whole thing originated.
ana TO discover whether, as liz believed
generally here, the whole series of st.
tacks upon Judge Ballinger was inspired
IN the forestry bureau. If it is found
That 1t was so inspired, the committee
mas full power to ascertain exactly
which persons were parties to or The
tnstigators of the attack. Under the
extremely liberal power to summon
witnesses, there is little chance for
the guilty ones to escape.
One feature of the investigation win
be the opportunity it will give for the
examination of the so-called "muck-
rakers OF eastern magazine journal
ism, who have boasted in some in
stances of their intention to force Sec
rotary Ballinger out of the cabinet
The jurisdiction of the Committee is
not limited. Thus, the magazine writ
ers, whether they live in Washington.
or IN New York, or any other point, or
whether they are in the field, will be
compelled, when subpoenaed, to come
and explain-and to substantiate. if
they ean-many of the things they have
oeen telling their readers in the past
SIX months. The country will have an
opportunity to judge for itself how re-
liable they are. This one feature of the
investigation promises to furnish the
committee with much amusement.
On the first list of witnesses sum-
moned, therefore, it is likely that there
VIII appear the following names:
Il: r. CLAWS, late special agent.
Gifford Pinchot, chief forester.
Overton w. Price, associate forester.
service.
John b. Matthews, magazine writer.
Norman Hapgood, editor of Golfers
Mark Sullivan, Golfers
X W. Wooley, magazine writer.
.erior. '"e in-
Fred bennett, commissioner general
If the land office.
FRANK Pierce, assistant secretary of,
he interior
PRESIDENT Taft intends to have the.
committee name competent attorney
o conduct the investigation in chief
ma 1t is believed likely that each of
ne principals will be represented bv
ounsei. The provision of the resoln-
ION Tor the employment of assistance
legal or Otherwise" has the full an,
roVal OF the president. 1t will per
nlt, also, II it is found advisable, the
mPioyment OF experts in the subjects
n'o winch the committee will inquire.