| Show MR ML PINCHOT PHOT ON WITNESS STAND CONDEMNS 8 L ACHILLES BALLINGER I CHIEF FORESTER TELLS HIS HISt J t STORY Of TH THE AlASKA lAND DIAlS DEALS I I SAYS FACTS HIS UNFAITHFUl Forester Foreste Says Entrance of Glavis Proved Disastrous j to Work Worl of Conservation Offering Sen Sensational SenI I Statements to Prove I His Claim I f Washington Fob Feb With GIfford Gilford Pinchot on the witness stand tho the Inquiry entered Its Us second R ond phase today The dismissed chef C of tho tIe forestry bureau before being sworn declared I when history had boon beon told the tb country would demand a verdict Jn ii with the general conviction that tho the secretary of the tho treasury had hadkell been kell unfaithful to the Uie public whoso whose property ho he has haq ha endangered and to th i president nt whom ho he had deceived 1 t Mr r Glavis the tho Cunningham coal claims and Attorney Attorn C Brandeis Dr all stood aside to make room for Cor JUr Mr Ir J choi Attorney George W V VI Ills friend and for cor hip liI story stor of oC Secretary I dealings th the water power sites of or the public domain Mr h PInchot accused Secretary Bat Bal Ballinger BaIlinger linger with having made mado an all I on 01 C of his conduct to the tho president that was essentially false He Hech ch him hAm with being a dangerous enemy enem to conservation He Ire charged bini with having haIng made mode a statement I shown by b undisputed documentary document ry to be he absolutely l false In three essential particulars He Ho Hei i him with having haUng wilfully deceived Id the president and of ot being to the president Mr first hours houn on the wit witness witness ness ns stand were as replete with sen nation as an he had hud promised and anI an 11 the crowd In tile tHe nearing Hearing room n latently intently tI upon every word that fell Cell from Crom his lips A trifle nervous nerous at first Mr Ir PInchot soon became accustomed tamed tomed tom to his surroundings and main maintained tamed a confident poise polee thereafter r His recital rc tal had not progressed far however howeler when there came an nn objection objection tion lion from Mr fr attorney as aa asto to tit the witness repeating conversa conversations with President Taft It was wan contended that the relation of these conversations would put tho the president In the attitude where he lie would either liu Jm e C to remain silent or else alse appear tho the committee as a witness which It was declared would bo be un undo do Tlc Tie question wan argued for some tIm lime end In his statement of oC the mat flint matter ter tho ilic attorney attorn C for Mr PInchot ad mHd that President Taft In a 11 letter leUer written subsequent to the conversa urn hd declared his recollection of what transpired at tho the Interview dif differed lewd In some particulars from that nf o n Mr Jr Ir PInchot The Tho matter was put f over o r for lor consideration by bJ the commit committee tee Ico ee and It la Is expected a decision will willbe willbe willbe be announced when the next session Is held Tuesday morning Mr PInchot followed up the vigor Igor Dug ous attack made mado upon Secretary Bal Ballinger linger lIu lr in his opening statement by hy Declaring ho he fully believed in Special SI Agent Glavis and was wa convinced all long that what Glavis said was true He Hc re characterized Glavis as ns a faithful I nubile servant and declared that tho lie lads which he presented proved that 4 had been he n unfaithful to o ourn urn trust nB an the guardian of public of o enormous values The conservation movement begun the administration of ot President Roosevelt was wan progressing up n to the timo President Taft I and Secretary llan Ballinger took office de do declared 1 lared Mr Ir PInchot Ho He charged that In less Ie than a month thereafter Sec Secretary bad broken tho the back hone bone of the central Idea of the tho con movement by hy restoring pro previously withdrawn water power sites to tho the public domain and laying then open to private appropriation and md monopolistic control I I Mr PInchot declared when the tho thor 1 r T s were made Mr rr Ballinger r J Rave gave no hint that ho would re with i draw the and that as a 1 I matter of ot did not rD of oC thorn until after Mr lr Pinchot 1 I had gone Iono to the tho president and made madea maden I a n vigorous vl protest The Tho of Mr fr I Wore Were made without any an tl r t lIon ff fI If the subject whatever aid haid Mr rr I PInchot and md h lit Ill charged the with Mth having deliberately ordered om nih officers cern cers of or the tho reclamation service against their will to recommend romo rome of the tho restorations should be he ber r Tlde nde Mr Pinchot declared Newell of oC the reclamation nervi would be bo called as us ono one of f his wit secretary of oC the Interior James R It Garfield it was announced also would be ono one of or Mr backers Ono One Of ei tho the most dramatic incidents i of the day da was left for Cor the last half hour of or the lie session when Mr Ir Pin Pinchot Pinchot Pinchot chot declared there th rc was WIlS no such de do decision by br the tile comptroller of tho the treas treasury treasury ury ns as had been heen cited by b President Taft In his letter of ot September 13 1909 to Secretary Ballinger dismiss dismissing dismissIng dismissing ing the Uie Glavis charges and authorizing lag ing the removal of Glavis The rhe pres pros president ident had contended that Mr Ir BallIn BallInger ger gor had acted under a decision of the comptroller which permitted no ap el 11 JI Jica hii h he ho had iad abrogated a n coop cooperative p agreement with the agricultural tural lural department whereby the forest service was given control of or the tho for forest forst forest est st reserves on In Indian lands Mr Mt lIt PInchot admitted there was an anI opinion by 11 the controller which for forbade forbade forbade I bade the thc detail detI of oC a l clerk from Crom the forest service to the tho Indian office but butI I contended that It had nothing what whatever whatever hat I ever to do with the work of the for forest cst est service In the field I I Mr Ir lr Implication that Pres President President i ident Taft either liar bar been or utterly mistaken brought out a rapid firo fire of questions from Senator Root Senator Sutherland and the other members of or the thc committee They read road Into tho the records various de da decisions of the comptroller which they contended had a bearing b on the mat mattor matter mattor tor ter but Mr Ir PInchot would not with withdraw withdraw withdraw draw from his position that thero there was absolutely nothing in the decision to which President Taft must have re referred referred referred which In any way a warranted the abrogation of o the cooperative agreement by b Secretary S He declared In fact that a previous opinion specifically held hold that the agreement was wan lawful This feature was ns temporarily passed over but It was evident from statements made by members of the committee that they the would tako take it up more fully ully before beCore Mr PInchot was Tho The Indications were when hen adjourn adjournment adjournment ment meat was vas as taken that the former for forester ester cater would be bo on the stand for some Bome sometime time tinie to come conic One Ono of o tho the minor charges made mado by b Mr PInchot was to the effect that Mr as aa com corn commissioner missioner of the land hand office in 1907 protested against the creation of the lie forest reserve in Alaska The Tue reserve was created over his pro protest protest protest test however and Includes most of o othe the lie Cunningham coal claims Tho forenoon session was devoted in part pmt to a further examination of oC i W V W r Barr Darr of oC Seattle as ns to tho the agreement now In effect between him and L R It Glavis as to obtaining tim timber i ber her laud lands in Washington Barr said Glavis was able to give him Information thou lion as to the location of or available lands which he lie had never been able to get before and tIle the effort of the was clearly clear directed toward bringing out the fact that I Giavis within two months after aCter he had loft left the government service was engaged In using the knowledge he ho had gained ns as a public servant for the benefit If lC private parties Just as ns ho 1 charged Secretary with do doing doIng ing after neter retiring from Crom office as ns com commissioner commissioner commissioner I missioner of oC the general land hand office I 7 Barr Darr said Raid that thaL If the deal and GIn Gla Glavis GInIs i vis vi Is had entered Into was carried I through OIn 8 share in the thc profits would be about Washington Feb PIn PInchot PInchot chot taking t the lie witness stand at tho the Inquiry this tills after afternoon afternoon afternoon noon rend read a statement to the commit committee committe tee te before being sworn In which he heI I charged Secretary with falsehood and disloyalty to President I Taft and nad declared that Mr Ir Ballinger should be dismissed from om the tho service I Washington Feb 26 Mr lr Pinchot made mado to the tho Investigation investigation committee this statement of his charges char es n Secretary get er when he ho went on the stand today What I desire to lily lay In before the committee IK is a consecutive story of or my ow nl experience cx with Mr or In relation r to the kb conservation of oC nat natural ural oral resources Among several other matters there arc ar three thre of principal importance to be bo called to your atten JUen attention I than tion Tho The first of oC these concerns the pol Dol Dolk j k icy devised and inaugurated by tho the thelast last administration I of ot protesting against monopolistic control of the water power sites owned by hy the peo people pIa UI I 1 shall show you that Secretary Ballinger entered his office with the clear determination to make mako short work of that policy that he be reversed It so s far as he be was allowed to do so that he lie restored the tho power sites to entry without the remotest idea of re withdrawing them and that finally when I charged him last autumn to the President with being an enemy enem of or the tho policy poll C of conservation ho he clapped the climax by br giving to the ibe President himself an nn explanation of ofhie o hie lB conduct that was vas essentially false The second has to do cIo with my m con connection connection as a 0 government goern officer with tho lie Cunningham coal cases canes and with JUI the Glans charges I shall show you how the tho forest service became In Involved In these cases and how Glavis submitted his facts to me I believed then thon as I believe now that he told the truth I am convinced now as I Iwas Iwas Iwas was when whon he came to me that Glavis was vms a faithful public servant and that the facts which he presented prove that lint Mr Ballingor had been alth ful ul to his bis trust as as s a servant ot of the tho people and find as 35 the guardian of or public property of enormous value I shall shaH show that since I learned learn d the tho facts you jou have heard beard from Glavis and others which I am about to lay In before you I have havo acted steadily In Inho tho ho light of them as It was my m duty both as a n public officer and as a citi citizen citizen citizen zen to do I sindi ahall show I you that In pursuance of that duty duly I laid before beCore the President both my word of or mouth tl n a litter letter l J 4 a statement of my conviction that Secretary Bal Ballinger Ballinger linger has ha been a dangerous enemy to conservation I shall show you OU that this letter was submitted by b the President to Mr Ballinger Bahlinger and that as ns part arL of his re reply reply reply ply he lie laid before boore the President a n statement concerning concern In the lie Cunningham coal cases eases which statement Is shown by b undisputed documentary evidence to be absolutely false CalBe in three essen essential thai particulars It will then appear that Mr Ballinger wilfully deceived the lie President and nud was disloyal to him Tho The third principal matter Is con can corned with the attitude of ot this gov gor go nt In law and administrative practice toward the Uie conservation of ot the national resources belonging to the people I desire to show shaw you that the story of Glavis courageous and successful fight to protect the property of tho the people which ended In his dismissal without a hearing Is but a single singie I chapter In the history of oC the public lands I shall show you that under our present law and practice the more difficult task falls on those who vho would protect the public property and not on those who would despoil It and that under the present system the betrayal Into monopolistic control of what be belongs belongs belongs longs to Lo all of oC us Is made easy and often orton in practice Inevitable The Imperative duty dut before this country Is la not merely to get rid of an unfaithful public servant A Alar far more moro Important duty dut Is to bring about a aund fundamental und mental change In the law and tho the practice toward conservation to prevent for the tho future what has been In tho the past the most inevitable sacrifice fice flee of the public welfare and to make I possible here the tho utilization utilisation of o the thc natural resources and the natural ad advantages advantages vantages for tor the benefit of o all the people instead of oC merely for Cor the profit of a few When this story has been told and the witnesses whom I shall ask you OU to call have hae been heard you y will real realize realIze realize ize that the Interests of or the country are not safe in Mr hands and that the public demands of oC this committee a verdict in harmony with tho the general conviction that the thin secre secretary secretary tary tar of or the Interior has been beon unfaith unfaithful ful ml both to the public whoso whose property he ho has endangered and anel to the tho Proal President President dent whom he has deceived U W Barr the tho Seattle timber deal dealer er who no so tangled up on the tho stand yesterday when testifying as to toan tonn toan an nn agreement he ho had entered into with Louis R Glavin as u to tho the location of oC timber claims following the latter dismissal from the tho service was as re recalled recalled called today tolay I The Tho witness was questioned further concerning his hits Umber operations The I I questions were directed d in the endeavor or to prove that while lie Clavia is charging charging ing Mr Ir Ballinger with having become counsel 1 for or the tho Cunningham group after being land lant commissioner and giving the thc claimants the benefit of I knowledge obtained In the tho govern goern government meat ment service Glavis himself Is now making ma use of or the knowledge of or public J lands by b entering into an nn agreement with a dealer denier Mr Barr sam sale he ho had ordered nis lis office offic In Seattle to send out tuo tilO agreement between him Gel neif and sum sulu he h had hall been b cn in by b Glavis to work In harmony h rmon with a n coal export sent by the forest service to Alaska but that had bad never attempted to t Influence enco him in making his report or finding i Kennedy said It was impossible to work in Lii harmony harmo ny with Wit tho thu forest ex expert pert perl who the Ujo Cunningham 1 coal co 1 honda worthless a asa aa a commercial 1 proposition |
