New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1911-01-27
HOUSE ORDERS INQUIRY
AIIeaed Holding Up Of BaIIInger-
Pinchot Report.
CANNON RESENTS CHARGE
Rebukes Hitchcock, of Nebraska,
Who Modifies Objection
able Resolution.

IET0m 1Nr i'lVuN'
yssbinrton. Jan. 2s-RepresentatiVe
Hitchcock. OF Nebraska, Democrat Soue"'
70 centre the spotlight on himself again To-
dav by demanding an investigation OF thc
DELAY in the printing OF the proceeu'hEs vi
tho RsllinRer-P.nchot committee 10 save
,;r,e tho House agreed 10 his resolution
b,, onlv after an Objectionable preamble
had been stricken out and after speaker
Cannon had made the Nebraskan the out'
Of scathing rebuke for his long aose"oe
from the House.
Mr. Hitchcock began by alleging that II
had been forty-nine days since the BAL
I,neer-pinchot matter had been submitted
n thu House. Tho Nebraska member indi-
Gated strongly that Mr.. Cannon had had
something TO do with the delay at the Gov
eminent Printing Onlce-an Indirect cn"is
" hich was vigorously refuted by the SPEAK
er. whose sarcastic references to the actiV-
itv OF the gentleman from NeprasKa
after a protracted absence took the "ina
out Of the latter's sails.
Meanwhile Representative Mann OF I'LL
nois; Scott. of Kansas, and Cooper OF
Pennsylvania-the latter the chairman OF
the House Printing Commttee-defended
themselves and tho Speaker from attack
and told OF the congested conditions al the
printing office. which. Il IL said. now mas
something like one hundred and forty VOL
umes OF government publications In hand.
Representative Payne said no did not OBJ
ject 10 the Hitchcock resolution OF in
oulrv. but that the preamble was entirely
out of order Tho preamble undertook 10
crticlse the findings Of the Balllnger-Pin-
chot investigating committee as improper
and irregular" Finally. Mr.. Hitchcock,
who had been coached BY Representative
FITZGERALD. OF New York. one of the best
parllamentarians in the House. agreed TO
strike out the Objectionable preamble. and
the House adopted the resolution by an al
most unanimous vote.
The manner in which Speaker Cannon
handled the implied charge that he or tho
House leaders rad attempted 10 suppress
the BallInger report was a satirlcal rejoin-
der that brought discontinue 10 Mr. Hitch
cock and considerable pleasure 20 many OF
the members OF the House.
This is the first time tho attention OK
the Chair has been directed TO this matter.
sald Mr.. Cannon There are a vast num-
her Of reports to refer. and although the
Chair does not refer all OF them personally
he accepts the responsibility. The Chair
has no objection TO an investigation. but
only desires that a member OF this House
shalt not make the Chsir subject TO crit-
cism that may be heralded on Its race as
an accusation and accepted possibly as "a
fact by the ever vigilant and fair press OF
the country"
Growing a bit more satirical. Mr.. Cannon,
who was frequently interrupted by Mr..
Hitchcock, asserting that the criticism was
not deserved, the Speaker said
The Chair desires To remind the gentle
man that because OF his absence the House
has not had the advantage Of his valuable
services and suggestions but now that ne
IL present and the House Will have the
advantage Of his accustomed vigilance no
doubt the House will be delighted to hear
from him and have this matter brought to
the attention Of the country. as possibly II
might have been before " the House had
had hts valuable services IN rhe business OF
the country
Mr. Hitchcock protested. but Mr.. Cannon
continued: The Chair isn't crlticising the
gentleman. but tries 10 show 10 the House
and. IL POSSIBLE. TO the country as well that
the Chair is not subject 20 the criticism
and possibly the House is not subject 10 the
criticism, already voiced by the gentleman.
II developed later that the reports did not
pass through :he Speakers hands, but we're
marked for reference 10 the Committee on
Agriculture in the usual way. and ordered
10 be printed. Meantime word came from
The Senate that Senator Nelson had intro
duced a concurrent resolution providing for
The printing OF three thousand extra copies.
Pending action on this resolution the order
for printing was held mp in the clerks
office The resolution did not come from
the Senate until December 10. and was not
nassed by the House until December 20 in
holding Up the reports from the printer tho
clerk in charge had overlooked, II was said,
having the reference noted IN the Journal
of the House until December ~.