The Hawaiian star. [volume] (Honolulu [Oahu]) 1893-1912, 1909-08-26
Especial Correspondence.)


the fight between Forester Pinchot
and Secretary Ballinger, Congress at
its next session will be forced to take
cD2nizance of the sln, tcomings of ex-
istirG laws affecting the control, use
auo development of natural resources,
ana to enact new legislation which
will enable the TAFT administration
legally to carry out the so-called
Roosevelt conservation policy. 1t was
lack of adequate law that brought
about serious differences between Pin
chot and Ballinger. But in the alb
sence of law, Pinchot insisted upon
doing that which he believed to be
right, while Ballinger, regretting the
shortcomings of the federal statutes,
insisted from the first that he could
not and should not go beyond the
limitations of the law Pinchot has
been no more earnest in his advocacy
.of proper laws than has Ballinger, but
the former has been unwilling to wait
until the laws shall be modified, while
the latter has held that his powers
are regulated according to existing
law.
President Roosevelt exerted himself
to the utmost to induce Congress to
revise the land laws and other laws
governing the control of natural re-
sources, but his recommendations in
this regard were repeatedly ignored
MOI TO be checkmated by an unres-
ponsive Congress, President Roosevelt
stretched the old law to the breaking
point, and did what he could to for
ward the conservation movement In
some respects the law was totally ig-
nored in the furtherance of this po-
Icy. In carrying on this work, Pre-
sident Roosevelt's chief lieutenant
was Clifford Pinchot, and naturally
Pinchot absorbed much of his Chiefs
spirit and determination. But when
there came a change of administration
there came a change in methods. I'm
like his predecessor, President Taft
insisted upon a rigid enforcement or
the law, and was unwilling to exceed
the authority of the law, even in the
furtherance of policies to which he
is committed. President Taft has talk
en- the position that the conservation
policy is right, but until the laws have
been amended he does not see his way
clear to carry out that policy to its
legitimate end. Therefore, he favors
an enlargement of the law to give him
the powers necessary to make the
conservation policy a success. In the
meantime, so far as the law allows,
he is doing all that legally can be
done to see that the nations re-
sources are not gobbled up by special
interests and trusts.
There is perfect accord between Pre-
sident Taft and Secretary Ballinger
over the question of enforcement of
the law, and on the question of need
ed changes in the law. Secretary Bal
linger, in his annual report, will deal
with this question of revision of the
land laws, and will recommend such
changes as in his judgment are me-
.cessary. President Taft, in his mes
sage to congress in December, will
make similar recommendations Not
only will these recommendations affect
those laws under which title is acquir-
ed to portions of the public domain,
but to the national reclamation act
and all legislation affecting forestry
and the government control of forest
lands Water powers, mineral depo-
sits, irrigation possibilities, and all
those features of conservation coming
under the scope of the Interior De-
.partment, will be covered by the rec
concentrations of Secretary Ballinger
and President Taft
And the impending trouble between
Pinchot and Ballinger will serve to
concentrate attention on the need for
new legislation. Partisans will all
favor it, whether they be supporters
of Pinchot or Ballinger, for the prin-
cipals are agreed on the one point that
there is crying need for new laws.
Men who are not partisans will not
be able to avoid the subject, and pub
lie sentiment probably will have been
aroused to such a pitch, as a result of
the Pinchot-Ballinge trouble, that
Congress will literally be forced into
acting. II .n
The legislation to be urged by Pre-
sident Taft ought to pass alta reason
ably early day in the session. Some
of it will go to the new Senate com
mittee on Conservation, created fol
the specific purpose Of framing legis
lation to assist in carrying out the
new conservation policy. That which
relates to the reclamation service viii
go to the committee on Irrigation
and that relating to forestry matters
will go to the committee on Fores
Reservations. In time all of it ma!
be sent before the Public Lands com
mittee for revision, before being act
ed upon in the Senate, because in
sense all this legislation affects pub
Ilic lands, or the resources stoweC
away on the public domain. In thu