Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1911-01-26
BLAME CHARGED TO A MAP
Explanation Offered Is That Work
Has Been Held Up at Govern
ment Printing Office.

port inside of a week.
Representative Hitchcock of Nebraska
presented the resolution and in his short
speech of explanation he plainly indicated
a belief that there was something rotten
in Denmark. He charged that the Bal
lnger-Pinchot report had been held uI
for forty-nine days since its presentation
to the House and his hardly veiled insin-
uations that Speaker Cannon and the
powers that be in the body were re-
sponsible aroused the member from Dan.
vile.
He declared he had not held up the re-
port and that he didn't propose to hear
insinuations Of that sort made on the
| floor of the House.
Other Members Take Part.
Before termination of the row, which
was lively while it lasted. Representative
Ollie James. the big Kentucky member
of the Ballinger-Pinchot committee, had
jumped into the wrangle to back up Mr..
Hitchcocks statements. and Representa-
tive Mann Of Illinois and Representative
| Cooper OF Pennsylvania, chairman of the
| printing committee, and Representative
Scott of Kansas, chairman of the commit
tee on agriculture, defended themselves
and Mr.. Cannon from attack.
Representative Payne of New York, the
republican floor leader, who had an
nounced early in the ruction that he saw
no objection to an investigation of the
delay, cut the controversy short by NOV
resolution was adopted by q practically
unanimous vote, some few republicans In
the extreme rear of the chamber uttering
/ feeble noes.
The resumption of the Ballinger-Pinch
| row in the House today came as an alb
| solute surprise and out of clear sky.
The chaplain had offered prayer and the
clerk had finished reading the journal.
Representative Dwight Of New York, the
republican whip. was just about to make
| a point of no quorum, the attendance ct
members being Slim.
Then UP jumped Mr.. Hitchcock, who.
| in the past. has had the faculty Of
| springing sensation every now and
then and Of stirring up the Speaker.
Surrounded by Mystery.
"Mr. Speaker he cried, 'I rise to a
question of privilege Of the House. At
the last session there was q commit
tee appointed to investigate the Bal
linger-Pinchot controversy. The re-
port of that committee, / ascertain by
| the records, was not referred to the
agricultural committee until several
weeks after it was made to the House.
A condition of mystery and doubt sur
rounds the whole performance. Even
after the report was referred 1t did not
reach the committee.
Not until yesterday could anything be
/ found out about this report, which was
| made six or eight weeks ago. This in
wolves the integrity of this House and
! should be vigorously investigated at once.
| Therefore, have prepared q resolution y
Mr.. Hitchcock then sent to the clerk 8
! iesk and had read resolution which, in
the preamble, denounced the treatment OF
the Ballinger-Pinchot report as 'improp-
| err" and irregular" and called upon the
committee on rules to investigate and re-
port I'M six days.
Floor Leader Payne made a point OF
| order against the Hitchcock resolution
| but the Speaker paid no attention to him
and Mr.. Hitchcock continued to denounce
the handling of the report, declaring that.
by some process that he would like to
| understand the document had been sus-
pended between heaven and earth. and
| that he could find out nothing concern
ing the result Of the investigat1ng COM
| mittee's work at either the Speaker s
| rooms, the agricultural committee, the
government printing office or any place
else.
Not Opposed to Inquiry. :.
II do not object to the rules committee
making this investigation" interrupted
Mr. Payne. but this resolution asks the
House to adopt as the truth the state
ments in the preamble from beginning to
end"
Nobody has denied the truth Of those
statements" Representative James Of
Kentucky interjected.
Then Mr.. Cannon used his gavel. This
is the first time he said, that the at
tention of the chair has been drawn to
this matter. There are a vast number OF
reports to refer. and. although the chair
doesn't refer them personally, he accepts
the responsibility.
The Speaker then went on to say that
he Thought the Ballinger-Pinchot report
had gone for sake OF convenience, direct
to the government printing Office. instead
of through the agricultural committee tt
which 1t had been referred. He alst
thought. ne said. that the report had
| been held up because an extra number, il
!, addition to those authorized by law, were
desired to be printed
."The House hsvs missed the gentleman
from Nebraska" said the Speaker. ~
he had been here and as vigilant as HI
usually Is he would undoubtedly nave
brought this matter to the attention o
, the House ere this. Now that he I.
back. 1t will undoubtedly be brought t,
| the attention of the whole country
,, Nebraska Man Missed.
THAT criticism OF me by the chair il
not justified" retorted Mr.. Hitchcock.
! 'The chair is not criticising." said Mr.
Cannon. 1.-The chair is merely shown,
how the House has missed the gentlema,
, from Nebraska" Some of the republican
laughed.
II am not the only one who has beeI
seeking the facts end endeavoring to un
, ravel the mystery surrounding this re
r port" said Mr.. Hitchcock. This is no
, an obscure report. The matter shoul,
be investigated and an explanation mad
: to the country"
! "The chair has no objection to an In
E vestigation." said Mr.. Cannon but onl,
, desires that a member Of this Hous.
, should not make the chair subject To ,
criticism that may be heralded on M
4 face as an accusation and accepted pos
sibly as a fact by the ever vigilant an,
fair press of this country until the fact
= are ascertained"
: Then Mr.. Hitchcock expressed willing
e ness to eliminate the Objectionable pre-
A amble, which practically accused tn
Speaker, or. at least. the House machine
OF holding up the sallinger-Pinchot find
e ings.
e Representative Scott OF Kansas. VIII
CONTINUED on Second Pags.l