Heppner gazette. [volume] (Heppner, Morrow County, Or.) 1892-1912, 1910-01-13
BALLINGER IN
QUIRY is BEGUN
President Approves Resolution and
Committee Will Be Appointed.
No Limit Will Be Put Upon Scope of
InquIrY-AII Facts and Underlying
Motives Viii Have Thorough AR
ing-Departments of interior and
Forestry to Have Rigid inspection

Washington, Jan. 6.-President Taft
has seen and approved the Jones Hum
-phrey resolution for the investigation
by joint committee of the Ballinger-
Pinchot controversy, which for a time
threatened almost to wreck his admin
istration, and the resolution was intro
duced in each branch of congress yes
terday. 1t is 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 a thor
ough and complete investigation of the
interior department, its several bureaus,
Officers and employees, and of the bu-
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
Guiding all the natural resources of
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 go
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-Pi
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-
tain where the whole thing originated,
and to discover whether, as is believed
generally here, the whole series Of at
tacks upon Judge Ballinger was inspired
in the forestry bureau. If it is found
that it was so inspired, the committee
has full power to ascertain exactly
which persons were parties to or the
instigators 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 will |
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
retary 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 can-many of the things they have
been 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
will appear the following names:
l.. r. CLAWS, late special agent.
Clifford Pinchot, chief forester.
Overton w. Price, associate forester.
A. c. Shaw, law officer, forest
service.
John B. Matthews, magazine writer
Norman Hapgood, editor of Golfers
Mark Sullivan, Golfers.
r. w. Wooley, magazine writer.
r. A. Ballinger, secretary of the in
terror.
Fred bennett, commissioner general
of the land office.
Frank Pierce, assistant secretary of
the interior.
President Taft intends to have the
committee name competent attorney
to conduct the investigation in chief
and it is believed likely that each of
the principals will be represented by i
counsel. The provision of the resolu-
tion for the employment of assistance,
legal or otherwise" has the full ap. |
proval of the president. It will per
init, also, if it is found advisable, the I
employment of experts in the subjects c
into which the committee will inquire.