The Washington herald., 1911-04-07
WEST DISSATISFIED
WITH ASSIGNMENTS
Representatives Charge Fa-
voritism Plays Part.
MISS BIG COMMITTEE JOBS
Rucker, of Colorado, Says "Pinchot-
ISM bitches Him and Colleagues
from Desired Place-To Contest
Appointments TN House.

Democratic House members from the
West may register strenuous complaint
concerning their committee assignments
| when the project OF formally electing the
| committees comes up in the House early
| next week or pending that proceeding.
Atterson W. Rucker, of Colorado, one
| of the four Democrats of the House who
| come from the far West, Is authority
! for a statement that the phase of con-
servation doctrine known as 'Pinchot-
ism was responsible to a distasteful
degree in landing himself and his Col
| orado colleagues, Representatives Taylor
and Martin in several assignments where
they will be powerlsss to act effective
ly in the interest of their respective To-
caltieS
In speaking his own views on the mat
ter Representative Rucker said yeSter-
day that certain members, in whose hands
the committee making was placed. were
ruled by friendship for the late Chief
Forester Clifford Pinchot, and his extreme
conservation views, in assigning the
WesternerS.
Put in Minor Jobr-
They put us on a few committees
which handle subjects vital to the West,
to be sure" said Mr.. Rucker, but not
one of US received a chairnanship nor
were we allowed to come anywhere near
to the ranking positions. l have been
told frankly that it was our lack of
sympathy with the verdict in the Bal
linger-Pinchot case that caused the
powers that be to put us where our
efforts in behalf of a square deal for
the Western settler and a lawful and
healthful development of the West would
count for little i was taken from the
Committee on Insular Affairs at my own
request In return. l was given places
far down the list on Indian Affairs and
Irrigation of Arid Lands.
My two colleagues Jared practically
in the same manner. In order to keep
Mr.. Taylor from all possibility of being
drawn on conference committees on land
legislation. James NJ. Graham, of Illinois.
who eSpoUSed every idea of the Pin
chotites in the Ballinger-Pinchot inveSti-
CATION, in which he participated, was
lifted bodily onto the Public Lands Com
mittee and made ranking member over
Representatives Ferris and Taylor. who
have been active members of the commit
tee heretofore. There was a studied eff
fort all along the line to keep Westerners
out of responsible positions, in spite of
the fact that there are only four of U.s.
including the California member Mr.
Raker. and in spite of the fact that we
need all the assistance We can get to
keep the ordinarily Republican districts
from which We come in the Democratic
column
Ruled Out of Job.
Mr.. Rucker said that he made every
effort to obtain membership on the Com
mittee on Agriculture, a committee very
important to Colorado, but was ruled out
in favor of Democrats who had never
seen a day of service in the House.
Mr.. RUcker has been vigorous In his
onslaughts on the Forestry Bureau and
the public land administration system.
asserting that they cost the government
more TO maintain than the lands and
forests will ever yield. A measure turn
ing over all public lands TO the States
was introduced by Mr.. Rucker at the
opening of the session.