The San Francisco call., 1909-09-02
CHIEF FORESTER
PRAISES VESTS
CONSERVATION
Enemy Of Land, Water and Iin-
ber Grabbers Talks of Aims
ofthe Service
Favors Curbing Greed of Power
Trusts and IndOrses Eleanor
and Hetch Hetchy

choL quiet and unassumlng gentleman
but natural enemy. of land. water and
timber grabbers. arrived in. San Fran
cisco yesterday from the northwest on
tour of inspection. He. was enthu-
siastic over: conservation work in the
west. bur would not discuss his differ
enoes with Richard: A. .Baninger. sec
reotary. Of the interior.
..Ebatexer unpleasantness the special
interests have caused Pinchot has done
LITTLE more than arouse him TO keener
Interest in his work. He is more than
q nillionalre and is developing the
forestry. department because the COM
servation, OF natural resources is his.
hobby He certainly is not. going to
resign:
=. The. resignation of ormsby MeHarg
.aad the report that Forester slosson at
santa. Barbara had. been requested to
resign were among the important ques-
tions Pinchot eyaded. but. when he
was questioned regarding conservation
work he was quite willing TO talk.
WEST FOR CONSERVATION
7 recently attended two congresses
at which conservation matters were
discussed said Panehot. :and at both.
was immensely pleased at the
strength Of the feeling in favor of
conservation and at the. enthusiasm for
IKE movement. The growth of the con-
.ac@@.ation feeling among the. western
s'corie during the last year is very re-
'lia.-is1li ie.. I believe that the west is
1csv more actively in favor of con-
zesvetlen than the east
Sd. .*ope. in the United States has
..fslell. a: larger part in the conserva-
s.lI~ nsuKerneAt than former Governor
|feterse' o. Pardee of California. He is
i =. FL e. -ct the national conservation
g-si 'lsSsiufr aDd Of the joint committee
~ -aal.ssslNaation appointed by the great
ecve rnors' conference OF last .Decem-
: ger. *C1 the men with whom l am
'ssef9cysi ted = in the conservation move
ell there is none TO whom / look
:ilore.s Constantly for support and ad-
i .ge tbaD~to Governor Pardee. and there
IS -.eerta tnly no man who has spent his
lillie and money more freely for the
conservation cause.
Perhaps his greatest service to con-
-serXation is found in the clearness and
Nieor:o OF his protest against the monop-
oLzauon OF water power in the west -
FhVo8S SIERRA WATER PROJECT
.F'fnchot reasserted his position in IA
vqr- OF San Francisco getting its water
supply in the Sierras
-" From the first i have believed that
San ,. Francisco should have the right
to- take water from Lake Eleanor"
said. he. @ano, if necessary later. from
sob. EFcsrs1 1-r h. IL
so. and my belief has not changed.
am as anxious as any one that the
natural beauty Of The Sierras and eS-
? peclally of the Yosemite park should
not be marred, but ! believe that the
hundreds Of thousands who can not
visit the mountains are entitled to at
least as much consideration as the
hundreds who can"
Pinchot: slipped gracefully away
from a. question about the grabbing of
water power sites in the Tahoe drain
age. basin. but showed q willingness to
discuss the growth Of power trusts
along the line Of recent interviews.
ABSORBING NATURAL POWER
As I have often said observed
Pinchot, power sites and power COM
panies, east and west, are gradually
being absorbed by a few large con-
Germs, the most important of which is
the General Electric. These com
panies, through their attorneys and
agents. have been the most formidable
opponents of the policy TO keep some
sort of control over water power
monoplies, whether formed or in the
process Of formation. We are face to
face with a decision of this question
at the next session of congress-
Either the power sites on navigab Bile
and nonnaNigable streams will con-
tinue to be granted in perpetuity as
they have been hitherto except on the
national forests, or congress win de-
eide that the right OF the people to be
considered first of all in the develop
ment Of these powers shall be re-
spected
We are not attempting TO prevent
the development OF water power by
private capital All we contend for is
that the rights to such power shall be
granted for limited time only, say
for 50 years. and with reasonable COM
pensation TO the public for the bene-
fits granted These questions must be
decided at the next session Of congress-
so far as / can see, and no decision of
recent years will have anything. like
50 great an influence on the welfare
of the American people as this one
That is one reason why the fullest dis
cussion Of this question is absolutely
necessary at this time"
WORK OF FORESTRY SERVICE
Pinchot is in San Francisco in the
course Of his regular inspection tour
10 look over the district cffice located
here and to- discuss a variety Of prob
lens with the district forester, Mr.
Olmstead..
GO I'm each district 7 have been de-
lighted to find that misunderstanding
and controversies which existed at
FIRST are rapidly disappearing" said
Pinchot. The people. and especially
fhe small men in the neighborhood
and within the boundaries Of the ma
tionals forests are coming TO see that
the forest service has no interest
whatever except t3le general welfafe
we have been giving the most care
ful attention 10 complaints of every
kind, Investigating each one separate
Iy. and thoroughly, ia the endeavor to
remove injustice Of every sort, and to
establish the most cordial cooperation
with the users Of the national forests
For a number Of years back my sum-
mers have been spent chiefly on this
sort OF work. and the higher officials
Of the forest service are constantly
travelling about during the field season
10 adjust differences, listen to COM
plants. and adapt the administration
Of the national forests more and more