Image provided by: University of Oregon Libraries; Eugene, OR
About Morning Oregonian. (Portland, Or.) 1861-1937 | View Entire Issue (Jan. 18, 1910)
THE MOIJ.NING OREGONIAN, TUESDAY,' JANUARY 18, 1910. CHARGES ABE IVlAD E AGAINST BALLINGER Hitchcock, of Nebraska, Says -Secretary Is Guilty .of Nepotism. GRAFT OF FUNDS HINTED Mismanagement of Affairs of De partment Alleged and Advance of Xephew to Position of Affluence Specified in Statement. BALUMiKR 1MTSIES CHARGES. WASHINGTON Jan. 17: Secretary HalllnKer late tonight Issued a long statement. In which In most vigorous terms he declared the charges made by Representative Hitchcock before the Congressional special committee, and aimed at the Interior Depart ment and General Land Office, were without foundation. WASHINGTON, Jan. 17. Complications were added to the Balllnger-Pinchot con troversy today by Representative Hitch cock, of Nebraska, through sensational charges made in Congress against Sec retary of the Interior Ballinger, in a statement accusing Mr. Ballinger of di recting the affairs of his department to he material benefit of his nephew, Jack Ballinger, of Seattle, and pL being guilty of gross extravagance and mismanage ment. The Senate adopted the resolution for the investigation of the Ballinger-Pinchot affair, as agreed upon in conference, and the House will adopt it tomorrow. The most Important allegation of Mr. Hitchcock is that funds of the Interior Department were improperly used in paying private traveling expenses of Secretary Balllnger's nephew. The Sec retary and other officials of the In terior Department will be subpenaed to appear before the house committee on expenditures, to which Mr. Hitchcock's charges were addressed. Hitchcock Suggests 'Witnesses. Mr. Hitchcock suggested to the com mittee that the following Government employes be called to furnish specific information, explaining that he was persona non grata with the committee Department, and that the committee was in a better position to obtain the facts: J. D. Yelverton, chief of di vision P, or his assistant; Bert Mar shall or Irving Rtttenhouse, chief of the accounts division. General Land Of fice, concerning the purchase of desks, filing cases, etc., out of the million dollar fund: Frank Bond, chief clerk of the General Land Office, concerning RO-odd clerks performing ordinary cler ical duties not connected in any way "with the protection of the public do main, though so paid. Concerning the office of chief of the field service, occupied by H. H. Schwartz, the statement alleges that that position was created for Mr. Schwartz without warrant of law. his salary be ing raised from as special agent to $4200 as chief of field service, or $700 more than his immediate superior, the Assistant Commissioner. His mes senger's salary was also raised from $720 a year to $900, it is alleged. Ballinger's System Confusing. Mr. Hitchcock suggested that doubt less the other excessive salaries and large expenditures were paid out of this fund and recommended investiga tion of statements made in an anony Tnouse letter to him that declared Mr. Ballinger's system of files has "so mixed, confused and befogged the clerks, that there is now absolutely no one who knows anything about any thing that appertains to the office," re quiring more than 100 clerks against 15 under the old system. Special agents, says Mr. Hitchcock, liave been selected from clerks at "Washington who know practically nothing of the lands of the West, nor of fraudulent methods, nor of law. He cites particularly the case of Howard I Wilcox, appointed by Commissioner Dennett, Mr. Schwartz' indorsement of Wilcox recommending him as a "near dentist. ACCUSED TO HAVE COUNSEL Republicans to Select Members of Committee Wednesday. Mr. Hitchcock's charges were con tained In a statement presented at i meeting of the committee called to permit Hitchcock to substantiate his charges of extravagance in the Interior Department. The committee decided to fubpena Commissioner Dennett, of the General Land Office, and all others to appear before the committee next Wednesday. The statement alleges Improper use of the $1,000,000 appropriation "for the protection of the public domain against frauds," by the purchase of expensive furniture, mounting into the tens of thousands of dollars, the erection of a certain large brick chimney for a land office at considerable expense, "the employment of some 80 additional clerks, salaries Increased and in one case at least doubled," out of this million-dollar fund (citing the case of Chief of the Field Service Schwartz as this Instance); long telegraph bills, which "cover long extracts from the newspapers sent in by traveling repre sentatives of the General Land Office; selection of special agents not at all qualified," etc. he statement asserts that when Mr. Ballinger became Commissioner of the General Land Office he reduced the sal ary of Law Clerk Wright, so that Judge Wright's $2000 salary "could be given to Jack Ballinger, his nephew, not under the title of law clerk, but under the title, created by Mr. Ballin ger's order, of confidential clerk. I have been told Mr. Wright died of dis appointment and humiliation thereaf ter." Jack Ballinger Provided For. Jack Ballinger remained a year in the service, the statement says; his manner of living about the time his uncle re signed, in March, 1908, being alleged to Illustrate "the reckless expenditures of the Land Office." "It waa announced," the statement goes on to say, "that young Jack Bal linger was leaving the Land Office to resume law practice In Seattle. In or der that he might receive a final rake off, he was designated as special tem porary inspector of offices, an evident outrage on the treasury. This enabled him to draw traveling expenses frorr Washington to Seattle and per diem also. v "Within two weeks after reaching Seattle he resigned, as understood in advance, and resumed law practice, in cluding, of course, practice before the land office ouUtheje atvd also in Washington." Mr. Hitchcock declared this to be only one of many outrages. BALLIXGER DENIES CHARGE Ex-Special Agent Says He Was Ap pointed" to Office by Roosevelt. SPOKANE. Wash., Jan. 17. Jack Bal linger, who, it Is alleged, was1 favored by his cousin, the present Secretary of the Interior, at the expense of the Govern ment, denied today ever having been given a cent through hia cousin or any other uerson connected with the Oovern ment service, except a salary received under President Roosevelt. Jack Ballln ger is now at Coeur d'Alene, Idaho, rep resenting the settlers In the fight over overflowed shore lands. "It is absolutely false that my cousin or anv one else ever favored me, especial ly in the Government business," stated Mr. Balllnger. "I was appointed by President Roosevelt as principal examiner of land claims and contests and was ae tailed as private secretary to the Secre tary of the Interior at a salary of $2000 a year. "The man who previously held the place died and I was. appointed to fill the va cancy, so that I took no one s place. That ie all there is to the affair." Jack Balllnger is a second cousin of the Secretary. BALLINGER. IS TO MARRY SOOX Secretary's Cousin Will Wed In Seat tle, January 29. SEATTLE, Jan. 17. John Ballinger, nephew of Secretary of the Interior Ballinger. is in Idaho on law business. He was secretary to his uncle while the latter was Mayor of Seattle, and was his confidential secretary when the present head of the Department wa Commissioner of the General Land Office. John Balllnger will be married in Seattle, January 29, and is expected to return this "week. nnu niTro iiiTn i im BUI DluUtd imu urc YOUTH FALLS THROUGH ICE; GETS 3 BATHS IV ONE DAY. Eddie Murpliy of East 6 2d Street," New York, Has Unexpected Peep Into L'uxury. NEW YORK, Jan. -16. When little Eddie Murphy, living in this city, got a pair of pot metal skates for Christ mas, he did not have the least idea that they were going to be the means of his literally "falling" into a chapter of .high life, with luxurious appoint ments and liveried attendants. And, for that matter, he probably does not relish his advent into fashionable quar ters and, indeed, would have been happy if only the skates had filled their mission, that of affording the long stroke glides over an icy surface with companions of his own choice. As it was he ran the gauntlet of ex tremes in baths. Together with a chum he was aimlessly skating about on thin ice on the lake at Central Park, near the Fifth avenue entrance, and with the daring of the true young American spirit he flirted with a dangerous spot Just once too often and plunged into the icy water when the "rubber" ice gave away. His companion ran out of the park shouting at the top of his vloce, and chauffeurs stationed in front of the Plaza Hotel hurried to the lake, arriving there just in time to rescue the boy from drowning. From the chilled waters of the lake he was dragged and at the solicitation of women who ran out of the -Hotel Plaza after witnessing the rescue, he was taken to the hotel and stripped of his scant and untidy clothing. Eddie had only read in fairy stories and seen on show posters the many beautiful things in reality which surrounded him as he was. led through the luxurious baths of the Plaza. He was first treated to a steam bath and later given an electric bath with "all the trimmings." Three baths on the same day is a record that Eddie is probably not very proud of. and it probably will take some time for him to live It down with his companions on the East Side even if he did emerge from it clean and whole, his hair scented with sweet odors and his body rubbed with a soothing ointment. Before he escaped from the hotel he Identified himself as "Eddie Murphy, of East Sixty-second street, that's enough." BIG DRAIN FUND IS ASKED Balllnger Wants $2 50,000 to Dry 30,000 Yakima Acres. OREGONIAN NEWS BUREAU, Wash ington, Jan. 17. Secretary Balllnger today recommended the appropriation of $250,000 to irrigate and drain from 30,000 to 40,00 acres of low land on the Yakima Indian reservation not in cluded in the present irrigation project. Unless this appropriation is made the low land. In time, will be drowned out by surplus water from the Irrigating canals and will be rendered worthless. With Irrigation and drainage it will be worth $100 an acre. Secretary Bal linger suggests that the surplus water could be- drained into the Toppenish River, the cost of Irrigation and drain age to be reimbursable to the Govern ment. Ballinger also recommended that the remaining unallotted land on the Ma kah Indian reservation, in Washington, be allotted to members of the Makah tribe, or, with the consent of a ma jority of the members of the tribe. this land, mostly valuable for its tim ber, could be set apart for a timber reserve, receipts from the sale of tim ber to be distributed among tribal In dians. About 33,000 acres of good tim ber land remain there. Heike Held Under $5000 Bail. NEW YORK, Jan. 17. Charles B. Heike, secretary of the American Sugar Refining Company, whom Collector Loeb declared to be the "man higher up" in the sugar customs frauds, was today ar raigned in the criminal branch of the United States Circuit Court and held in $5000 bail to plead next Monday on in dictments charging him with making false entries of sugar cargoes and con spiring to defraud the Government. s t Millers Oppose O. H. & N. Rates. SALEM, Or., Jan. 17. (Special.) The Wasco Warehouse Milling Com pany, of The Dalles, has filed with the Oregon Railroad Commission, formal complaint against the Oregon Railroad & Navigation Co., alleging that the company exacts unreasonable and un justly discriminatory charges for the switching of freight in carload lots in the company's yards at The Dalles. Basketball Game Canceled. By agreement between the managers of the basketball teams of the Mult nomah Amateur Athletic Club and the Toung Men's Christian Association, the game scheduled between those teams for- tonight has ben cancelled. No rea son is given for the cancellation. An other game scheduled later in the month will probably be played. IDAHO'S POLITICAL POT IS BOILING Main Fight of Fall Campaign Will Center on Guber natorial Chair. 3 REPUBLICANS IN RACE B. . F. O'Neil, Who Helped Elect Brady, Now Wants Seat Incum bent Defies Antl-"Dry" Forces. Judge Bryan Only Democrat. BOISE. Idaho, Jan. 17. (Special.) With the Democratic party a minority in Idaho, skirmishing to gatn the spoils of the Republicans, there is enough agitation in the state to keep the wisest politician guessing. Recent develop ments indicate that the center of po litical attraction will be focused on the Governor's chair. The direct pri mary, to be operative for the first time in the fall campaign of 1910, gives promise of keeping the party leaders busy. The campaign started when B. F. O'Neil, i Republican state chairman in charge of the campaign a .year ago, announced his candidacy for Governor, making commercialism" a plank in bis platform. Having done all in his power to elect Governor Brady, now in office, Mr. O'Neil now declares his friends have urged him to become a candidate for the reason that the party needs him. Mr. O'Neil is one of the most promi nent bankers of Idaho, and is of the self-made variety. In the last Legis lature there was no secret made of the fact that he aspired to the toga of Senator Heyburn, and the senior member of the Upper House was forced to hurry from Washington to Idaho to save himself from what looked like certain defeat. This move blocked the plan to place the senior Senator on the shelf. Through it all O'Neil at no time showed his hand. Governor Brady Alert. Governor Brady is aware of the po lltical movements around him and is not to be caught napping. The Brady organization Is probably the strongest in the state today. It is said in politi cal circles that politicians are opposed to the chief executive but the electors. as a whore, are said to be for him. He upheld the party pledges and demanded that the planks adopted be made into law. . This gave Idaho the direct pri mary and local option as they stand to day on the statute books. Probably the only complaint made against Gov ernor Brady, by politicians, waa caused by his delay in announcing political appointments during the last Legisla tive session. Brady, to his intimate friends, deplored this as a mistake. Al though bitter conflicts have been waged over the local option elections held in various counties. Governor Brady de fled the antl-prohlbitlonlsts and stood by the party act. He even went so far as to go into his own County, Ban nock, and campaign for the issue, swinging that county into the "dry" column. Those who are shifting the scenes on the political stage view with some ap prehension the combinations that are in the process of formation. Well based information leads politicians to believe that O'Neil has tied his strings to Senator Borah, and that the O'Nell Borah compact will stand out against that of the Brady-Heyburn merger said to have been made binding. The Gov ernorship, heretofore, has been used as a stepping stone to higher honors. By the original programme. Governor Brady "would succeed Senator Heyburn after serving a second term, O'Neil would become Governor and Borah would be displaced by O'Neil when his term expires. But the gap appears when O'Neir enters the Gubernatorial race two years ahead of time. If O'Neil is elected, oblivion may be the future of Governor Brady and Senator Hey burn. Speaker Clagstone was the first to announce that he would not sidestep nomination for Governor. He stood on a footing then with Governor Brady on the local option question, Nleclaring in favor of the Issue as against the antis and even publicly saying that underhanded methods had been used during the Legislative session to cor rupt unwary members to secure their votes against the option bill. Clag stone has a large following in the North, but either he or O'Neil, candi dates from that section, will have to stand aside to give the panhandle a show in the campaign. Gooding Also Ambitious. . Ex-Governor Gooding, also a prohibi tion candidate, will be put forward by his friends to enter the race. That will make two candidates from the South, Brady and Gooding. The Good ing forces were given a severe blow by the election of Brady, and it is not believed Gooding will be able to gather sufficient strength to be a power in the coming campaign. Senator John Hart, acting Governor, is timber for the head of the party, but not for next Fall. Hart is said by his friends to be holding back for the election of 3 312. when he will be able to swing into line with a Mormon fol lowing. Being a bishop In the Church of the Latter Day Saints, he is entitled to be recognized in a state which is controlled politically by the Mormon vote. Secretary of State Lansjon has an nounced he is not a candidate for Gov ernor. Lansdon is known to be close to O'Neil and will probably be in line to swing the western part of the state' for the Northern banker. Judge Allshie and ex-Governor Morrison are not op posed to having their names' consid ered. The Democratic camp presents a far different scene. With the minority party, any sMong man who can unite the old Dubois and anti-Dubois fac tions would be welcome. While promi nent men like Fred T. Dubois. ex-Sen-. at-r Heitfield, Judge Bryan, J. T. Pence, David L. Evans, J. L. McClear and T. l! Quarles are mentioned as probable leaders. Judge Bryan, of Caldwell, see.ms to be the choice of the majority. He Is reutral to the Dubois and anti Dubols factl.ons. Leaders of Democracy say he will be offered and accept the nomination under -the direct primary. If he is named, the Dubois Democrats declare they will be for him, although thsy may attempt to have him stand upon an anti-Mormon plank, the hobby of Dubois and the issue that rent the party a year ago. The Democrats ex pect victory through a breach among the Republicans. - Both Parties Puzzled. With the National political situation puzzling, politics in this state are far from reassuring to either Democrats lew Antiques may be desir able in furniture but not in heating methods. The work and dirt and dan ger from ashes, soot, coal gases, and uneven heat ing arising from use of bid-fashioned methods are not for our times. are the most approved modern outfits for scientific (science is but another name for simple, common sense) heating. 'vVith IDEAL Boilers and AMERICAN Radiators you can resist v the wintry elements instead of being driven by them. These outfits for Hot-Water and Low-Pressure Steam heating distribute the heat uniformly to all parts of the house a thing which old-fashioned heating methods cannot be forced to do, especially on windy days. . ADVANTAGE 13 : Proper size water-ways which insure quick and continuous circulation of a volume of water correctly proportioned to the needs of the radiators above is a strong point in the construction A No. 151 IDBAL Boiler-and 265 ft. of 38 in AMERICAN Radiators, costing the owner S12S, were used to Hot-Water heat this cottage. At these prices the eoods can be boueht of any reputable, competent Fitter. This did not include cost of labor, pipe, valves, freight, etc, which installation is extra and varies according to climatic and other conditions. Write Public Showrooms and Warehouses located at Chicago, New York, Boston, Philadelphia, Washington, Buffalo, Pittsbure, Cleveland, Cincinnati, Atlanta, Indianapolis, Milwaukee, Omaha, Minneapolis, St. Louis, Kansas City, Denver, Seattle, San Francisco, Brantfbrd (Ontario), London, Paris, Berlin, Milan. or Republicans. . Both are at sea. It would seem, however, that the Fall campaign will depend greatly on in fluence of the press and the personality of the candidates. The amazing strength of local option with the unknown effect of the direct primary law render the political outcome exceedingly difficult to prognosticate. It is known at this early stage of the campaign that James H. Brady, B. F. O'Neil and Paul Clagstone ajje candi dates for Governor. With the Demo crats, Judge Bryan has signified his 'willingness to shoulder the party stand ard. These slender facts provide little on which to base predictions. Farmer Found Shot Dead. TRENTON, Mo.. Jan. 17. James Humphreys, a well-known and wealthy young farmer, was arrested yesterday, and is in the county jail here as a re sult of the Inquiry into the killing of - Portland. San Francisco, Seattle. SPECIALISTS IN" ' , Gloves Umbrellas Hosiery Agents for Everwenr Guaran teed Hose. Very Special for Today, Tuesday Men's and "Women's Um brellas, handles worth up to $10.00, on sale at $4.95 "Women's 'Onyx" Pure Thread Silk Hose, black and all colors, $1.50 val. for 95 emwn9s fUf 60VSAAD lM3jLLAs 309 Morrison St. Ame RICANx. Radiators of all IDEAL Boilers. Thick A No. 3-25-W IDBAL Boiler and 700 ft. of 38-in. AMERICAN Radiators, costing the owner 331 0 , were used to Hot-Water heat this cottage. AMERICAN RADIATOR fOMPANY to Dept. N-12 James Hatcher, a farmer, who was shot from ambush near Undley, Mo., last Friday night. Ten empty shotgun shells were found THIS AD. IS OF Our records of owners of E-M-F "30" Cars are not complete we lack names and addresses of several hundred owners, and in many" cases where cars have changed hands we haven't the address of the new owner. As long as there is an E-M-F nameplate on the car we consider it ours and our duty to extend every courtesy and attention to its owner. We guarantee every car, no matter by whom sold, and always stand hack of the guarantee. During the past few weeks, for well-known reasons, some owners, we are informed, have not received prompt service. We want to hear from all such. Also we would like to hear from every one of the 10,000 owners of E-M-F cars, if only to be sure we have your correct name, address and number of your car for our files. Write us, and in return for your trouble we'll send you "Another Talk With Flanders" on selling automobiles and taking care of the customer. THE Manufacturers of Member DEAL IBoilers volumes of water or sluggish pockets are not effective in taking up the heat. Whereas, thin water-ways make for rapid and liberal heating results, with greatest economy of fuel. The form and size of the water-ways in IDEAL. Boilers are most accurately planned and have so much to do with bringing out their wonderful fuel economizing results. There is no kind of inhabited building, old or new, farm or town, but which can be perfectly warmed by one of our outfits. Every building owner will be intensely in terested in our book,''Heating Investments." 282-286 Michigan Avenue, near Hatcher's body, which was liter ally filled with shot. Neighbors said Humphreys had complained that his corn was being stolen, and threatened ONLY FOR OWNERS E-M-F "30" AUTOMOBILES E-M-F COMPANY, E - M - F "30" and Flanders "20' Detroit, Mich. of A. L. A- M. Licensed Under Selden JNDEAL w In IDEAL Boilers and AMERI CAN Radiators heat is taken from fire instantly by the Steam or "Water; and the tree unobstructed circulation in sures rapid deliveries of warmth to the rooms which means full value of fuel money. Chicago to shoot the thief on sight. A sack of corn was found near Hatcher's body, but his friends ridicule the suggestion that he stole the grain. ' Automobiles Patent.