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Show READY II PROBE PIWUfFAIS Congress Shapes Plans for Investigation In-vestigation of Land Oflicc and Forestry Service. MEANS THRESHING OUT OF OLD CONTROVERSY House Spends Day on Mann's Paiiania Bill, and Finally Passes It. WASHINGTON. lan. 5.A congressional congres-sional investigation of the general land office and the forestry service of the government gov-ernment growing out of the.so-callcd Pln-chot-Ballinrcer controversy. - is provided for in a joint resolution which was Introduced In-troduced in the two houses of congress today. Senator .lones offered the resolution In the senate 'simultaneously with Its presentation pres-entation to tho house by Jlcprcscntatlvp Humphrey of Washington. President Taft having given his sanction sanc-tion to the proposed Inquiry, tho Republican Repub-lican leaders In congress have determined deter-mined to press the resolution, and Its early adoption and the subsequent Inauguration In-auguration of the Investigation without delay aro confidentially expected. In presenting the resolution lUr. Jones said. "The various departments and bureaus of the government arc organized to do Its business in the interests .of the people. peo-ple. Every ofllclal is but the servant and agent of tho people, lo act for them under un-der and within the limits of tho law. Tho efficiency of public service depends much upon the confidence of the people In the honesty and Integrity of their servants and agents. Sad Commentary. "It is a sad commentary upon the state, of public opinion that the moment a man accepts a public office he becomes a scoundrel In the. eyes of many of our people, and his previous life of honesty and reclitudo Is no wavrant of official integrity. His acts arc misconstrued and his motives questioned. Insinuation and Innuendoes are freely made under the guise of the public welfare, but In reality to foster some private Interest. Popular views are taken advantage of to discredit an official, who, after investigating investi-gating all phases of a subject, may roach ii decision at variance with some private interest. "Many do not stop to think how seldom sel-dom have government officials gone astray compared with their opportunities opportuni-ties and temptations for wrong-doing. In the hundred and twenty-five years of our-national our-national life fow of the men In high, positions po-sitions have been actuated by, other than the highest and most pntrlotic motives. This should cause our people to 'hesitate to accept churges of base conduct against their public servants without Investigation Investiga-tion and proof. "The press and magazines or the country for several months have been filled with charges against the- present secretary of the interior and his conduct of the oflloc ho holds. Those charges range, from petty insinuations and In-nuedocB In-nuedocB lo direct charges of maJfeainee and misconduct in office which. If true, show that he has most unwoithlly dls-cliargcd dls-cliargcd his trust. A moment's thought should cause an honest and fair-minded man to hesitate to accept sucli charges against a man whoso whole, life heretofore hereto-fore has been one of tho highest rectitude recti-tude and against whom no dishonorable charge has ever been made in either private pri-vate or public life. Praise for Ballinger. "Such a man is the present seovotury of the interior. He- Is over 50 years of age, an honored graduate of Williams college, and a lawyer of distinction. He came to our state in 1SS!I and has lived there ever since. He was a superior Judge for four years and mayor of the oily of Soaitlo. Wash., and his ndminlp-ti-atlon of that office has been u model for lils successors. He accepted the office of-fice of commissioner of the general land office at the urgent solicitation of Secretary Sec-retary Garfield, who knew personally his sterling character and exceptional ability. abil-ity. He did not seek that ofllee. He accepted ac-cepted his present postlion only ipou the i-amest solicitation of the president. He did not seek it. It meant nothing lo him but hard work ami poor pay. lie gave up a large and lucrative law practice simply at the call of patriotic dutv is it possible that he at once be-caine be-caine the scoundrel and arch enemy of the people that he has been depleted in the public pros3? I cannot believe it. If he has used his high office to advance special interests; if he has sacrificed the people for private or personal gain, let It be shown, if. on the other hand, the peopu- have been deceived, and he has been unjustly accused, ihnl should be shown, not 'only that Justice may be done him. but that the confidence of tho public In the honesty and Integrity of Its public servants may be restored and strengthened and the animus of tho attacks at-tacks dlscloacd. Conservation Policy. Mu. n has been said regarding bis kis on the. conservation of our natural rofioureoR. This T shall not discuss at 1 his tune. T believe that It will be shown that his purposes and objects are r.nb-slunUally r.nb-slunUally the same as those of the most udleal conservationist and Hie main dit-i dit-i 1 .! Is but one of methods. Assured! Assur-ed! 1 here Is room for mi honest dlnY-r-omi ot opinion as to how our great na.t- d i i-Houreus can best be conserved. I iuiv agree with some of the views of th jfcf'wljo crltlcine the poliel,. the.meth-o.p the.meth-o.p .tn.i proposals of the scerelary. but 1l.1t is honest and patriotic in his (t-W I liuvi? not the slightest doubt. Oin thing Is "Uie. we have laid sov-ir.il sov-ir.il .srs of talk about conservation, we 1 L ii"' bad rdntiluile piled upon platitude 'in iho most dramatic way. b;it 110 specific or ilrt.tllcd plans for conservation have 1 been presented. I Is Practical WorUor. ; "The present secretary of the Interior instead of drawing glittering generalities generali-ties has made specific roeommf-ndations regarding all the Important conservation problems so far as they come within tho Jut ImI let Ion of bis department and has prepared and submitted to the careful scrutiny of the peorle and of congress legislation that be considers necessary to erteot th objects o much desireu by ull. Ho recommends the repeal of the timber and slonc law and the disposal of the- timber separate from the soil, lie recommends that, coal deposits be separated from the title to the-surface and that the. coal be disposed of separate from the land by sale or lease. He recommends rec-ommends legislation to prevent the ne-miMtlnn ne-miMtlnn of power sites on the public domain by private persons or corporations corpora-tions with tho view of monopolizing ot advcree.lv controlling them against public pub-lic Inetrest. He has withdrawn all locations lo-cations known to possess power possibilities possibil-ities on unnppropi-ilted binds outside of national forests ovr wnlch hln department depart-ment has no Jurisdiction, and ho recommend!-- 1 hat congress pnss a measure authorizing au-thorizing the ebiss mention of lauds capable ca-pable of being used for waw-r power . c-velopin-nt and to permit or their disposal dis-posal through the Interior department Continued on J'ngo Seven READY" TO PROBE PINCHOT AFFAIR i Continued from Page One. upon substantially the following condition-.'." v Mr.. Jones then grave a synopsis of seven, of the most important recommendations recommen-dations made by Mr. Balllnger, and eozi-ilnulhg eozi-ilnulhg Ida remarks, said; Demands Investigation. "Conpclous of the purity of hi? motives mo-tives -and the rectitude of hie intention1 th- secretary of the Inferior welcomes this investigation. 1 have presented the rpHolutlon ealllnir for this Investigation. 116 1 in Ills behalf or in antagonism to ;nny other, official of the sovornmcnl. but In the Interests of good administration und in Older that the people may know the facts of this deplorable controversy and for the Judgment thereon .of an impartial im-partial body. "TKic resolution has been drawn di-rectlnp di-rectlnp the commit toe to investigate along certain and specific lines and then authority Is plven to it . to rnaUo any further invcsthratlon that It may deem durable. The Intention is to peeure I he broadest and most thorough Investigation. Investi-gation. If the reoolutlon can be made broader arid mops risid, and a more thorough investigation secured. It should be done and t.'II! be welcomed by tho secretary, sec-retary, He wants no whitewash: he wants no partial Investigation, ho wants It rhdd. thorough, complete and conducted conduct-ed without fear or favor." Mann Bill Passed. The hoii'.'O devoted the entire day to the discussion ol Repro-entatl e '.Mhuii's l..i, providing for a reorganisation of thu government of the Panama canal sone. ami anallv passed It. The bill places the entire administration In the liands of the president and abolishes tho present cisnal commia.Hlon. Tn the senate resolutions were introduced intro-duced by Senators Jf.ll;Ins and Crawford looking io'.nid an investigation of tho hlsh cost of living. "formation of Oominittce. A committee, of twelve -Is 10 bo ap-.pointed ap-.pointed lo conduct the investigation, six of whom yhnll l derdsnated bv Vice President Sherman and si by Speaker Cannon. Unn.uesUom-.bly Senator Neltoii, chairman of the commit tee on public lands, will head tlr; list of senators, and this. doubtlesH. v. Ill i exult In his sel-e-tlon as chairman of the joint committee. commit-tee. The bcope or the. lnvc3tisatlon is outlined as follows; . "The coniniltice is hereby empowered antl directed lo make a thorough and eompl-te Invcsilcsuieu of the administration administra-tion and conduct of the Interior deportment deport-ment its several bureau?, officers and emplovee.s, ami of the bureau of forestry In the n;;ri':nUunl department. Its officers offi-cers and cmploy-ie. touching .or relating to tic- reclamation, conservation, management man-agement and disposal of the public lands of the ITtniod States, or any lands hold In trUst by too United Slates for any purpose, and sa.ld committee Is uutbor-Izeii uutbor-Izeii and empowered 10 miiJte any further fur-ther investigation touching aid department. depart-ment. Its hiircaur. officers, or employees-, aud of said bureau of forestry. Us officers or employees as it rauy deem desirable." desir-able." Pull Power Grantso.-The Grantso.-The siuthoriiy to ;dt during session of congress and in recesses. 10 rsuulre the attendance of witnesses and tho production pro-duction of papers, usual lo cougi-ess'.onal Inquiries, is granted by the resolution, il Is provided fr.rtlicr that any person refuslac to ob-?y the process of ihe commit com-mit lee "or lo ansv-er any -pie-ittun propounded pro-pounded shall b ii-tme.'i guilty of con-tempi, con-tempi, aud jut isdlctton ir. conferred upon the court of appeals of the District ( Columbia lo try and determine any such charge? of contempt. I'Jmployment of vristunce. "legal or otherv.lsV i3 speeltlcally nut hoi I sod. 'lhln provision is to'i the purpose of enabling en-abling 'bo committee to procure f;.e crJc.r:3 of able attorneys to lake oharire -of the problnc. so far as th? directing of question? is concerned. It Is the intention in-tention of rrfsldunt Taft lo have the committee name ,-ome competent attorney attor-ney to conduct the. case, and ii is possible possi-ble that both of the principal!; to the controversy may be represented by counsel. coun-sel. I It was agteori by ail persons who ha.c ! given close attention to the Knlliturcr-1 Knlliturcr-1 I'lnchot equabble that Hie Investigation i should be open to the pdblk- nnd tnls-i? ordered by the reiolutlon. On- or the big room in Ihe new senate on'ice build -lag will be u-eii for this purpose. |