Evening times-Republican. [volume] (Marshalltown, Iowa) 1890-1923, 1909-09-28
AS to Conservation Facts.
IN. Y. Tribune.]

y. \. tribune
Said Judge Cornelius H. Sanford of
Seattle, recently in an address in
which he severely criticised the policy
of conserving natural resources:
In our state the reservations COM
prise more than 81 per cent of its total
area, into which no homesteade dares
10 set his foot. The water runs down
our mountains and most of it flows
idly to the sea, without turning a wheel
but TO prevent grabbers from acquir-
ing vested rights the theorists insist
that it must keep on flowing idly until
il can be made to Weld tribute 10 the
national treasury perpetually, as the
agents of the government shall die
tate"
In this brief para graph Judge San
ford condensed Two important mis-
statements of the conservation policy.
First. any would-be settler who finds
land more suitable for cultivation than
/ for forestry in forest reservation is
/ entitled by law to enter a homestead
claim thereon and need find no diff
Guilty in securing patent when he has
complied with the proper conditions
In the second place, the conservation
theorists do not insist that the
streams must flow idly 10 the sea mill
they can be made TO yield tribute 10
the national treaS Jury Judge Sanford
should appreciate that such loosely
drawn indictments can serve only TO
impugn the testimony and thus 10
weaken the cause of those who oppose
the policy Of conservation, if such
there be, and OF the numerous oppon-
ents of the methods of those charged
with the administration of the conser-
walton policy
Under the law settlers may. as has
been said. acquire homesteads within
the forest reservations. 1t is commonly
charged, however, that the attitude of
the members of the forest service is so
antagonistic to would be settlers on
the reservations as practically to null
lily the law If this charge be true,
the fault is in the method. not the pol
icy. and is doubtless due 10 the fact
that excessive zeal has displaced dis
cretion If Judge Sanford and his
friends can establish the contention
that in effect the conservators of the
national forests are defeating the in
tent of the law they can easily secure
remedy but they will only hamper
their own efforts by attacking the pol
icy with misrepresentation.
Equally unfair is the statement that
the conservationists would suspend the
development of water power until it
could be made to pay tribute" to the
national treasury, altho the assertion
lis literally true. The conservationists
would suspend the requirement of wa
ter power, which is essentially a nat
ural monopoly. by private owners UNI
til congress shall have provided by
legislation for some form of limited
title under which the power may be
developed and utilized. but by which
the ultimate title shall reside in the
government, SO that when the develop
, ment of the country shall have great,
enhanced the Values Of the power the
community may share in that in
creased value which it has itself ere.
ated, and so also that future genera
lions may be in position to make
such disposition of such power as the
: conditions and the necessities then ex.
f listing may dictate.
g Because the powers of the fedora
! government are considerably limited
{ II is proposed to utilize the taxing
: power, as has been done in many 9th
er methods of regulation, and to col
lect from those who acquire waite
power purely nominal rental, not a
tribute" but legally to establish tn
fact that ultimate title resides in tn
government. Under such an arrange
$ ment those who acquired the right t
n develop and utilize the water powe
would In effect become long time les
sees at a nominal rental. They woul
u enjoy every advantage that would &C
# crue from full ownership except tina
r of the enhanced value resulting fror
q the growth and enterprise OF the com
munfty; while at some future tim'
J. perhaps fifty or ninety-nine year
Ii hence, the community would enjoy tn
n privilege Of renewing the leasehold, c
e, imposing an increased rental or eve
II Of reacquiring the water power fo
Il public uses.
= The idea, therefore, which Judg
Is Sanford apparently seeks to conve.
that the conservauonists would hol
: such water power idle and undevelope
= Until some remote period, and that the
= would do so with the ultimate purpos
y OF exacting tribute to the nations
Is treasury. is misleading and unjust.