Los Angeles herald., 1909-12-28
PINCHOT WOULD
CRUSH COMBINE
CHIEF FORESTER WARNS PUB
Lie OF DANGER
ISSUE is BETWEEN MASSES AND
PRIVATE INTERESTS
Asks If Resources Shall BE Conserved
for the Benefit of All or for
Prey of the
Few
Associated Pressl

NEW YORK, Dec. 27.--Gifford Pin
chot, chief forester of the United
states, declared in a speech here today
before a number of prominent pub
fishers at the University club that
special interests had made repeated
attacks on the United States forest
service, and these attacks had in
creased in violence just in proportion
as the service had offered effective
opposition to predatory wealth.
Mr.. Pinchot said: 1.-THE American
people evidently have made up their
minds that our great natural resources
must be conserved. That is good, but
1t settles only half the question. FOR
whose benefit shall they be conserved? ?
For the benefit of the many or the use
and profit of the few? The great con-
flict now being fought will decide.
There is no other question before
us that begins to be so important, or
that will be so difficult to straddle, az
the great question between special in
terest and equal opportunity; between
the privileges of the few and the rights
Of the many; between favorite men
and government for profit; between
the men who stand for the Roosevelt
policies and the men who stand
against them.
Essence of Problem
This is the essence of the conserva-
tion problem today.
II believe in one form of govern
ment, and believe I'm the golden rule
But we must face the truth that mo-
nopoly Of the sources of production
makes It impossible for vast numbers
Of men and women to earn fair
living.
fright here the conservation ques-
ton touches the daily life of the Sreat
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 TO make good
citizens of them instead of bad.
THE people of the United states
have been the complacent victims OF a
system OF plumber often perpetrated
by men who would have been surprise1
beyond measure to be accused OF
wrongdoing. and many of whom in
their private lives We're model citizens.
But they have suffered from a curious
moral perversion by which 1t becomes
prai-eWorthy to do for a corporation
things which they would refuse with
the loftlest scorn to do for themselves.
Fortunately for us all that delusion
Is passing away.
ut is the honorable distinction Of
the forest service that IL has been
more constantly. more violently and
more bitterly attacked by representa-
tives of the special interests In recent
years than any other government
bureau.
Attacks Increased
"These attacks have increased in vio-
lence and bitterness just in proportion
as the service has offered effective
opposition to predatory wealth. The
. more successful we have been in pre-
venting land grabbing and the absorpr
tion of water power by the special in
terests. the more devious and the more
dangerous these attacks have become.
A favorlte one is to assert that the
forest service, in its zeal for the public
welfare, has played ducks and brakes
with the acts of congress.
"The fact is the service has had
warrant of law for everything ii has
done. Not once since ii was created
has any charge of illegality, despite
the most searching investigation and
the bitterest attack. ever led to re-
versal or reproof by either house of
congress or by any congressional com
mittee.
"Since the forest service called public
attention to the rapid absorption of
water power sites and the threatening
growth of a great water power monop-
DIV. attacks on ii have increased with
marked rapidity. 1 expect that they
will continue to do so. Still greater
opposition is promised in the. near flu
ture. There is only one protection
a.. awakened public opinion. That is
why give you the facts"