Deseret evening news. [volume] (Great Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1867-1920, 1909-12-01
Again He Throws Down the Gage
Of Battle to Secretary of the
Interior BaIIinger.
OVER CONSERVATION POLICY.
Declares Congress Will Have to Decide
AS TO What Shall be Done
With Coal Fields.

| chot, chief of the United States for
| est service, has again thrown down
| the gauntlet to SScy. OF the Interior
| Ballingcr in regard to the conserva-
ton policy. He declared that Con-
| gress will have to decide at Its coming
session whether the great coal fields OF
the country shall continue to remain
In the hands OF the people. or be COB
blcd up by monopolies, and whether
great watorpowcr sites shall be given
away to special interests. or be con-
trolled by the people. SG
MAKES KNOWN HIS VIEWS.
Mr Plnchot makes known his views
upon these two '.chief sources of pow
of the prcsel1t and future" in a let
ter to DR.. Lyman Abbott of New York,
in response to series of questions
asked by the latter on "the national
conservation policy
Referring to the development of
waterpower and coal fields, the govern
ment chief forester declares that In
most cases actual development of thel
former can best be done by private in
terests. acting under public control,
but that 1T is neither good sense nor
good morals to let these valuable privi
leges pass from the public owneship
for nothing and forever"
In answer to DR.. Abbott's question.
What Is the danger to the consarva
ton policies in the coming session OF
Congress-" Mr.. Plnchot declares that
1t is the privileges of the few may
continue to obstruct the rights of the
many, especially in the matter OF
waterpower and coal"
Congress must decide at this ses-
SION" Mr.. Pinchot says, whether the
n1 dc 80; t,,. ,lsl,1
ship shall remain so. In order that their
use may be controlled with due re-
fard to the interest of the consumer.
or whether thcsy shall pass into private
ownership and be controlled in the mo-
nopolistic interests of a few.
Congress must decide also whether
immensely valuable rights TO the use
of waterpower shall be given away to
special interests in perpctuity ana
without compensation instead of being
held and controlled by the public"
Why is it important to protect the
water power sites?" asked Dr. AIpott,
and, in reply. Mr.. Pinchot points out
that 1t is of the first Importance to pre-
vent them from passing into private
ownership. as they havd been doing.
because the greatest source OF power
We know is falling water.
WOULD CONTROL COUNTRY.
"Undcr our form of civilization" he
says. If a few men ever succeed in
controlling the sources of power they
VIII necessarily control the country"
Mr.. Pinchot adds that he can sec
mo reason why We should deliberately
Keep on helping TO fasten tho hand
cuffs of corporate control upon our
selves FOR all time, merely because the
few men who would profit by it most
have heretofore had the power to COM
pei it."
As one of the essential things that
must be done to protect the water
powers for the people, the granting of
water powers forever, either on nom
navigable or navigable streams, must
absolutely stop, according to Mr.
Pinchot. After stating that it cannot
be right to. grant perpetual rights to
the one great permanent source of pow
er. Mr. Pinchot declares that "it is
just as wrong as it is foolish, and lust |
as needless as 1t is wrong. to mortgage |
the welfare OF our children in such a |
way as these water powers must and |
should be developed mainly by private
companies, and they must be developed |
under conditions which make invest |
ment in them profitable and safe"
He adds. however. that neither profit |
nor safety requires perpetual rights |
Mr. Pinchot declares. further, that |
there is mo reason whatever why |
special interests should be allowed to |
use them for profit without making |
some direct payment to the people for |
the valuable rights derived from the |
people"
"it is just as essential for the public
welfare that the people should retain |
and exercise control of water power |
monopoly on navigable as on non-navi- |
gable streams" Mr. Pinchot states In |
reply to the question, Docs the same |
apply to navigable streams |
as to non-navigable streams?"
"If tho difficulties are greater" he |
declares, "then tho danger that the |
water powers may pass out OF the peo-
parts of the streams is greater than |
on the upper rlon-navigable parts. and |
it may be harder but In no way less |
necessary to prevent
WHAT CONSERVATION MEANS.
Explaining what conservation means,
Mr. Pinchot declares that 1t stands |
against the waste of the natural re- |
sources that cannot be renewed. such
as coal and iron; and it stands for the |
of the resources that can
be renewed; and. most of all. 1t stands
for an equal opportunity for every
American citizen to get his fair share
of benefit from these resources. both
now and forever"
In discussing What has conserva-
tion to do with the welfare Of the av
eragc man today?" 1t is pointed out
that ut proposes to secure continu
ance and abundant supply OF the nee
essaries of life, which means reason
able fairness in the distribution of the
benefits which flow from the natural
resources"