The Evening statesman. [volume] (Walla Walla, Wash.) 1903-1910, 1909-11-17
FORMER SECRETARY OF INTER-
TOR MAKES PLEA FOR CON-
EMINENT REGULATION.
REFERS TO ALASKA COAL
In Address at Cincinnati Last Night
Former Secretary Says Interests of
People in Alaska Coal Lands Are
Not Being OBSERVATION-DISCLOSURES
Should Be Conserved.

CINCINNATI, Nov. 17.-Pleas for
the government regulation of monop-
olies weer voiced last night before the
joint convention of the National Mum
icipal league and thte American Civic
association by former Secretary of the
Interior James r. Garfield land by
Charles w. Eliot, rssident-emeritus
of Harvard Both declared that it was
imperative that the government take
immediate steps for the conservation
of resources Mr.. Garfield said that
the cOuntry'S natural resources were In
imminent danger of exhaustion and
that interests which developed this
source of national wealth must%be reg
ulated
Alaska Coal Lands Touched.
Mr.. Garfield also maintained that
the interests of the people were not be-
ing properly safeguarded in the Alaska
coal fields, and that legislation on that
subject was urgently needed.
He said in part:
1.-The permanent welfare of our ma
ton cannot be assured unless we, In
this generation, provide for the con-
servatiOn of our natural resources.
Hitherto we have been needless1y
Wasteful We have been too much
occupied with the present; too little
with the future. The inventory of our
resources shows the immediate dam
ger of their depletion or exhaustion.
Conservation is pre-em1nently a
movement for the public welfare. Elk
actly as the railroads are regulated
because: they are public utilities, so
must interests that develop natural
resources be regulated because they
deal with public interests. Unfair use
or monopolization of either is intol-
cradle.
Laws Are Inadequate.
I'm Alaska the coal area of a million
acres has been withheld from entry
pending investigation Laws provid-
ing for the disposition of these coal
lands are not what they should be.
Some improvements have been made
in recent years, but the rights of the
public are not safegtuarded. None
of these lands should be disposed OF
until legislation is enacted which will
provide a method by which the coal
can be developed as it is needed un-
der such regulations as will prevent
speculative or monopOliStlc holdings
by a few great interests and vii yield
to the nation a fair monetary return.
Under leasing system all these con-
ditions can be readily improved.
Congress has wisely provided for
the great irrigation projects that have
need of legislation to control the use
and development of water power to the
end that. as with other resources, the
public cay, under a system or iran
chise or lease, protect it's own great IN
terests and obtain just compensation.
1.-THE. great progress that has been
made through thte recent years will
not be stopped. The people of our
country will not tolerate any backward
steps. They demand and will see. to
it that their demand is needed tnat
the great policy of conservation snaii
be in the interests of public welfare.
DIR. Eliot was equally emphatic.
1.-THE sentiment of preserving our
natural resources" he said, has gone
like wild fire throughout the country
The people have reacher positive con-
victions. and they mean to have con-
servationL''
At the afternoon session A. L. Wei
of Pittsburg, who mas prosecuted tne
municipal corruption in that city, SAD
that the greatest lettering elements
in reform campaigns are public apathy
and lack of financial support.