The watchman and southron. [volume] (Sumter, S.C.) 1881-1930, 1909-12-04

PSCH0T IS DEFIANT.
THROWS DOWN GAUNTLET To
HIS CHIEF. BALLINGER.
Chief OF Forestry Service Again De-
clares Himself i'm Regard to Con-
ServatiOn.

Washington, Dec. 1.--Gifford Pin
chot, chief of the United States forest
service, has again thrown the gaunt-
let to Secretary Of the Interior, Bal
linger in the issue between himself
and the latter, in regard to the con-
servation policy.
He declares that congress will have
to decide at it's forthcoming session,
whether the great coal fields of the
country shall continue to remain in
the hands of the people or to be gob-
bled up by monopolies, and whether
the great water power sites shall be
given away to special interests or be
controlled by the people.
Mr.. Pinchot makes known his
views upon these two chief sources
of the power Of the present and fu-
ture, in a letter to DR.. Lyman Abbott,
of New York, in response to a series
of questions asked by the latter on
"the national conservation policy"
which was made public today.
Referring to the development Of
water power and coal, the govern
ment forester declared that in most
cases, actual development of the for
mer can best be done by private in
terests acting under public control,
but that ut is neither good sense nor
good morals to let these valuable
privileges pass from the public own
ership for nothing and forever"
| In answer to DR.. Abbott's question,
| what is the danger to the conserva-
ton policies in the coming session Of
| congress?" Mr.. Pinchot declares that
1t is that the privileges Of the few
may continue to obstruct the rights
Of many, especially in the matter Of
water and power and COAL"
Congress must decide at this. ses-
slon." Mr.. Pinchot says, whether
the great coal fields. still in public
Ownership, shall remain SO, in order
that their {. ne agys not be controlled
"a hfhs Interests of q
few"
Congress must decide also whether
immensely valuable rights to the use
of water power shall be given to spe-
cial interests in perpetuity and with
out compensation, instead of being
held and controlled by the public"
why is it important to protect the
| water powers?" asks DR.. Abbott, and
in reply Mr.. Pinchot points out that
1t is Of the first Importance to pre-
1T them from passing into private
ownership as they have been doing,
because the greatest source of power
we know is falling water.
Under our form of civilization" !"
he says, 'if a few men ever control
| all the water power they will control
all industry as WELL If they succeed
In controlling all industry, they will
| necessarily control the country" Mr..
Pinchot adds that he can see mo
| reason why we should deliberately
| keep on helping to fasten the 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
compel 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
non-navigable or navigable streams
must absolutely stop, according to
MI. Finchot. He declares that ''it is
just as wrong as it is foolish, and
just as needless as it is wrong. to
mortgage the welfare Of our children
In such a way as this"
Explaining what conservation
mears Mr.. Pinchot declares that it
stands against the waste of the nat
ural resources which cannot be re-
newed, such as coal and iron: it
stands for the perpetuation of the re-
sources which can be renewed. and
most of all, 1t stands for an equal op-
portunity for every American citizen
to get his fair share Of benefit from
these resources, both now and for
ever"
In discussing "what has conserva-
ton to do with the welfare of the av-
erage man today" it is pointed out
that 1T proposes to secure a contin-
uance and abundant supply of the
necessaries Of life. which means rea-
sonable cost and business stability. 1t
advocates fairness in the distribution
Of the benefits which flow from the
natural resources