Deseret evening news. [volume] (Great Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1867-1920, 1909-12-27
FOR WHOM ARE
RESOURCES?
Shall They be Conserved for the
Benefit of the Many or for
The Profit Of the Few?
GREAT CONFLICT is NOW ON.
People of United States Have Been
complacent Victims of PIundcr.
Says Clifford Pinchot.

New York. Dec. 27-Ginord Pinchot.
chief forester Of the United States, de-
clared in speech here today before Il
number of prominent publishers at the
University club. that special interests
had made repeated attacks on the
United States forest service and these
attacks had increased IN violence just
in proportion as the service had Of
fered effective opposition to predatory
wealth
PINCHoTS SPEECH.
Mr. Pinchot said.
1.-The American people evidently have
made up their minds that our natural
resources must be conserved That Is
good, but 1t settles only half the Ques-
ton. For whose benefit shall they be
conservation the benefit OF the n>any.
or for the use and profit OF the few
The great conflict now being fought
will decide. There is no other oves-
tion before us that begins to be so i'm
portant. or that Will be so difficult TO
straddle. as the great question between
special interest and equal opportunity:
the interests OF the few and the many;
the government OF men for human well
fare and government by money for
profit, between the men who stand
for the Roosevelt polIcties and the men
who stand against them. This is the
essence OF the conservation problem
today.
Il believe in one form OF government
and 1 believe in the golden rule. But
we must face the truth that monopoly
H. - ,aft lon q oO
impossible for vast numbers of men
and women to earn 4 fair living. Right
here the conservation question touches
the daily life OF the great body OF our
people. who pay the cost OF special
privilege And the price is heavy.
That price may be the chance to save
boys from the saloons and the corner
gang, and girls from worse and make
good citizens of them instead Of bad.
PEOPLE ARE PLUNDERED.
"The people OF the United States
have been the complacent victims OF
system of plunder often perpetrated by
men who would have been surprised be-
yond measure to be accused OF wrong
doing and many of them who in their
private lives were model citizens. But
they have suffered from a curious moral
perversion by which 1t becomes praise
worthy 10 do for q corporation things
which they would refuse with the lof-
test scorn to do for themselves. Fortu-
nately for us all that deluslon is passing
rapidly away
''It is the honorable distinction of the
forest service that 1t has been more
constantly. more violently. and more
bitterly attacked by representatives 0i
the special interests In recent years
than any other government bureau
These attacks have Increased In vlo-
lence and bitterness just In proportion
as the service has offered effective op-
position to predatory wealth. The more
successful we have been In preventing
land grabbing, and the absorption OF
water power by the special interests.
the more ingenious. the moro devoid
and the more dangerous these attacks
have been becoming. favorite one Is
to assert that the forest service, In It's
zeal for the public welfare. has played
ducks and brakes with the acts of Con-
gress.
1.-THE fact is the service has had war
rant OF law for everything 1t has done
Not once since il was created has any
charge of illegality, despite the most
searching investigation and the bitter
est attack. ever led to reversal or re-
proof by either house of Congress. or
bv any congressional committee.
"Since the forest service called pubic
attention to the rapid absorption OF wa
ter power sites and the threatening
growth of q great power monopoly. at
tacks upon 1t have increased With
marked rapidity / anticipate that they
will continue to do so. Still greater
opposition is promised In the near flu
tt,re There Is only ono protecton-en
awakened public opipicn. That js wry
I give you the facts