The Washington herald., 1911-08-27

fact that Secretary Of the Interior Fisher,
who succeeded Mr.. Ballinger is an
ardent conservationist, and that he has
thoroughly approved President Taft's ac-
tion SO far as Controller Bay is con-
cerned.
The opponents of the administration
claim that the President has allowed
private interests to gain an insurmounta-
BILE advantage in turning one of the few
available harbors Of Alaska over to
them. Whether he has done this or not
Is still a matter of dispute; the only
established facts are that one Richard
S. Ryan, supposedly representing the
Guggenheim interests. has succeeded IN
gaining a portion of the harbor of Con-
troller Bay for his private use, and that
a portion of the Chugach national forest
was set aside through his influence.
Minor Investigations.
From the first the Alaska question has
been the one ''hoodoo'' and evil genius
of the Taft administration. The fight
upon Ballinger did more to weaken the
President in the public mind than any
other agency-unless 1t was the signing
of the Payne-Aldrich tariff. Whether the
Democrats succeeded in carrying the
''jinx; right up to the very threshold OF
the Presidential campaign remains to be
seen, but If Mr.. Brandeis and his assist
ants unearth some damaging facts re-
garding Controller Bay the investigation
will have more than paid for itself-from
the Democratic point of view.
The investigation OF other departments
of the government, including the Post
Office Department. War and Navy, were
merely perfunctory. and resulted in no
startling discoveries. The Democrats
frankly believe, however, that they made
ten-strike in making an inquiry into
the Wiley case just as soon as the
Rusby letter was made public in New
York. The recent revelations regarding
the administration of the national drugs
and food act, involving Secretary Of
Agriculture Wilson, Solicitor McCabe. of
the department of chemistry. and Asso-
ciate Chemist Dunlap. have attracted
more attention from the country than
any other probe. In this case the investi-
gators struck pay dirt" without delay.
and the inquiry did not wander aimlessly
over the surface Of a multitude of things,
as has been the case in so many of the
other probes. Every day brought some
new facts out about the real situation
in the Bureau OF Chemistry, and there is
no doubt that they have sunk deeply In
the minds of the country.
Two TRUST PROBES.
In addition to the departmental in
vestigation there have been the steel
trust and the sugar t'ust inquiries.
Both of these investigating committees
have been working under great Difficult.
ties, because OF the great intricacies and
complexities Of modern business, and
have been chiefly devoting themselves to
reviewing ancient history. In the steel
trust investigation the facts regarding
the amalgamation of the Tennessee Coal
and Iron Company by the United States
Steel Corporation have been thoroughly
probed, and President Roosevelt's par
ticipation in that transaction Is now fully
known. Comparatively little In the sugar
trust inquiry Has attracted public notice.
It was quite in the spirit of the inves-
tigation fad that some cynical Republi-
can thought that nothing in the country
ought to be left without feeling the sharp
point of the probe. and presented res
oiution calling for an investigation OF
professional baseball. But the Democrats
proceeded calmly with their inquiries.
scratching tho surface Of = vast number
OF departmental AFFAIRS. and VIII continue
them undnunted when Copgress reessem-
bles In December.