NEW AMERICAN PARTY.

Dominion, Volume 3, Issue 843, 15 June 1910, Page 5

NEW AMERICAN PARTY.

ANTI-MONOPOLISTIC. SAID THAT MR. ROOSEVELT WILL 0 JOIN. PROTECTION OF RESOURCES FROM GRABBERS. By Teleerapi—Press Association-Copyright New York, Juno 13. It is reported that a new political party, including Mr. Roosevelt, and coinposed of all who favour the people's rights against those who support a monopoly of the country's resources, is being formed. Among its members are Mr. Gilford Pinchot (who, as Chief Forester, was ono of the main administrators of President Roosevelt's conservation of natural resources policy. When Mr. Taft became President, and appointed Mr. Ballinger Secretary of the Interior, Mr. Pinchot [endorsed charges that Mr. Ballinger was supporting powerful interests which wero attempting to corner the water-power of the country and the coal lands of Alaska. From this position Mr. Pinchot refused to withdraw, and was dismissed by President Taft). Another m'ember of the new party will, it is said, bo Mr. James R. Garfield. (Mr. Garfield was Secretary of the Interior under President Eoosevelt, and was succeeded by Mr. Ballinger when President Taft took office.' Prior to leaving his post Mr. Garfield made sweeping allegations as to long-standing frauds in the disposal of public lands.) THE CONSERVATION OF NATURAL RESOURCES. ROOSEVELT AND TAFT POLICIES. The Ballinger-Pinchot fight—which, some people insist, is really a Taft-Eoose-velt contest—is being fought out before a special committee of investigation. According to some authorities, it is not only public policy v. trusts, but (he parting of the ways between the Taft and the Eoosevelt policies, pel'haps with disastrous results to the former and to the Republican party generally. Taft and the Ballinger Charges. The charges against Mr. Ballinger, Secretary of thu Inferior, have been rejected by President Taft, .backed up by his Attorney-General, Mr. 'Wickarshnm. But the charges wore reaffirmed by Mr. Giffard Pinchot, Chief Forester, the intimate friend nod adviser of Jlr. Eoosevelt, and originator of the policy of th® conservation of American natural resources which Mr. Eoosevelt made one of the notable features of his regime. Mr. Pinchot, whose zeal far the public interest is undeniable, has set himself out to obstruct capitalistic manoeuvres in the direction of grabbing State land and minerals. The Alaskan lands had been withdrawn from disposal by President Eoosevelt, but under the Taft Administration 'many of the Eoosevelt reservations were withdrawn. Chief Forester Dismissed. In a letter to Senator Dolliner, Mr. Pinchot practically endorsed the oharges against Mr. Ballinger, and stated that, in dismissing them, President Taft "had acted upon misinformation." For this President Taft dismissed Mr. Pinchot, writing: "By your conduct you have destroyed your usefulness as a helpful subordinate of tie Government." Although Mr. Pinchot's zeal may have outrun Ms discretion, and although his insubordination may have rendered him liable to dismissal, the- fact remains that the Committee of Congress now inquiring into the Alaska affair may, if it finds Mr. Ballanger guilty, deal a heavy blow both at President Taft and his Administration. Mr. Garfield's Evidence.. A feature of the Ballinger-Pinchut investigation in March last was the evidence of Mr. James E. Garfield, who preceded Mr. Ballinger as Secretary of the Interior, and who was Secretary while Mr. Ballinger was Commissioner of the Land Office. Mr. Garfield testified that Ballinger, after leaving the Land Office, submitted to him, on September 17, 1908, an affidavit luade by Cfarenc* Cunningham, who swore that neither the Guggenheims uor any o.theT capitalist:.' outsidt) of his group of emtrymen had any interest, direct or indirect, in the Cunningham coal oiaims in Alaska. .. But it has been shown by the testimony of representatives of the Guggenheim syndicate that , this syndicate's option (still in force) on those claims was accepted on December 7, 1907. The affidavit was dated September- 4, 1908. It has been pointed out that tho claims were olearListed oil December 26, a few days after tho option was accepted. The record, Mr. Garfield said, showed that the affidavit was false. A member of the commi'tteo remarked that the punishment for porjury ought to be inflicted. Price of Coal Lands. Mr..Garfield said he differed with Commissioner Ballinger about Bills which had been introduced, providing for an increase of the price of the cool lands. He would have had the price apply to all lands not patented, but Ballinger desired that lands already entered should bo excepted. This would have permitted the sale of tho Cunningham lands for lOdol. an acre. Ballinger, in his letter to tho President, had said that after Glavis's protest he had. conferred with Secretary Garfield and had suggested that notion on the claims be suspended. Mr. Garfield denied that there had been such a conference. It was shown that the. two men, who had known each other in college, were oil terms of friendly intimacy before this controversy about coal claims and water-power sites. Another Witness. Arthur P. Davis, chief engineer of the Reclamation Service, was a reluctant witness. Ballinger, as Secretary, he „iid, had repeatedly directed him to prepare schedules for tie restoration of the lands withdrawn by Garfield, asserting that they had been withdrawn in violation of law. He had spoken of Garfield's action /as if it had been a great crime: He had asked witness to prepare for the restoration gradually, in order that it might not attract public attention. Ballinger, in his letter to'the President, said that the restorations had been made on the recommendations of the Reclamation Service. "Witness said there had been no such recommendation; he himself had protested against the restorations, or a considerable part of them.