Show BALLINGER INQUIRY MILL AGAIN GRINDS Secretary on Stand Contradicts Contradicts Contra Contra- Statements Made in Garfield Letter WASHINGTON May 1 5 It IL It was sas not noL nota a a. fair fall or truthful statement nt cx exclaimed l Secretary Ballinger during tho the Pinchot Investigation today referring to a sentence In former Secretary Garfield's letter to tho the president last November No which read rend He Ho directed the reclamation reclamation tion service to prepare preparo lists Ihus for restoring the withdrawn lands but to do so slowly In order not to attract public attention Mr or said that ho lie had no rio d desire to reflect on tho the previous ad administration administration ad- ad ministration which had withdrawn the lands unlawfully lands unlawfully ho he believed he believed he had Issued no such order and that all alt the ho lands actually had been restored within a n. period of or three weeks Another statement in the same letter I was va disputed by Mr Ballinger Near Kear the tho II end of his letter Mr Garfield said the plan of or the reclamation service for tor tho the I Issuance of oC- operative co-operative certificates had been approved by the senate committee on Irrigation Mr er read an at- at from the tho s secretary of ot that committee com corn to the lie effect that ho he had hail failed to find nn any p such approval in the records of ot tho the committee for the last seven years As J tho the reason for his his' having ha withdrawn power sites altes he had previously pre restored tl Mr Ballinger said sald he feared they might be tal taken en up cUon by congress giving the president the tho power to again withdraw them II He admitted ho he had lied no nomore nomore more legal authority for his action than had Mr Garfield Garfield- Ballinger on Stand Secretary Ballinger took the stand to today today today to- to day to complete his direct testimony The rho has now reached its most Interesting Inter inter- eating esting the stage stage the Cro cross 9 examination of Mr cl b by tho the a attorneys for tho pr prosecution Lewis Brandeis attorney for tor Olavis will be tho first t to take the witness In hand lIe He will question Mr tr about his connection with the tho Cunningham coal claims and his professIonal professional and official relations with the claimants At least three days das are nrc ex expected ox- ox ported to be bo occupied In cross examInation examination examina examIna- tion then of or the secretary and he lie may not be excused until FrIda Friday or Saturday of or next week For or moro than an hour the committee questioned Mr er this morning about tho tIm method pursued in entering on new reclamation projects It was brought out that many of the states had not had their equitable share of or these projects Senn Senator ol Flint sought to a. a ascertain who was r responsible for or thin condition The witness admitted that probably former fonner Secretary Hitchcock under whose admin admin- of or the existing c projects were initiated was responsible and not Director Newell of or the reclamation ice Mr Davis is was at that time chief engineer of or the service A A. long dl discussion among members of ot the tho committee ensued as to tho the feasibility o of various reclamation projects Mr Flint wanted to know I if it it Jt were not a lL fact tact that a n. groat great man many of or the had b been bien en initiated without regard to their feasibility but in order to give gle Various various va Va- rious states slates their proportion of the tho monc money they paid Into the reclamation fund through the tho sale Rale of public lands Mr was not nol able to give a direct answer but bul said In answer cr to a question b by Attorney Vertrees Vertree that he had not been able to Jcl got eIther cither of or the officials of the reclamation lIf service ser r to tt ex express cx- cx press I any doubt as ns to the tho feasibility of or any projects Contradicts Garfield Mr Ballinger contradicted two statements statements state state- ments muda by oy Secretary In his letter of or No November ember 6 1909 to President Taft Tuft In that letter which Is 19 In evidence evidence evi evi- dence Mr Garfield said that the th cooperative cooperative op co certificate plan of the Ule reclamation service had been approved by the senate committee on irrigation and nd Mr Ballinger read r ad a certificate from the tho secretary of that committee stating that a 8 careful search of the minutes R of ot the tho committee since 1903 had failed to show any refer refer- enco to the tha o co-o operative co-operative certificates plan In the same letter lotter Mr Garfield told tho the pre pre- president that r had hadIn In Instruct instructed Director Newell and Engineer Davis Js of the reclamation service to make mako the restoration of lands It withdrawn under Garfield slowly in order not to reflect on the I previous administration Mr Baum- Baum g r sail said he be gave no such luch order and re recalled recalled re- re called that no such suggestion had hail been en made If It th titers re rA was any suggestion continued continued contin contin- ned Mr Ballinger it was at the Instance of or Mr Newell In a letter to Senator LaFollette La- La Follette suggesting such a course The fact is bl that restorations were not made slowly but were mad read em eln the course o a f r two or three weeks as fast fallt as the they came camo down from tho the reclamation service It Il was not a 1 l fair and truthful statement nt I had har no desire to reflect on the previous administration however and did what I could to avoid old It |