The Richmond palladium and sun-telegram. [volume] (Richmond, Ind.) 1907-1939, 1909-12-01
tAmerican News Service,

Washington, Dec. 1.-The follow,n.
letter OF Clifford Pinchot. chief of tbs
United states Forest Service. was writ
ten TO Dr. Lyman Abbott. of New York
In response to the following question.
on the national conservation no,,cx
asked by him.
/. What does Conservation stand
for:
=. What has Conservation tn n
win the welfare of the average man
today?
- what is the danger to the Con.
serVation policies in the coming sas.
sion of congress?
!. Why is it important to protec,
water powers:
.. How must ii be done?
D Does the same principle apply
to navigable streams as TO non-navi
gable:
My Dear Mr.. Abbott:
| The questions contained in vour LET
ter of November Is. are we'll worth
answering, and | am glad to replv.
1. What does Conservation stand
| for?
The central thing for which cooser-
! walton stands is to make this country
the best possible place to live in. bo, \
for us and for our descendants It
STANDS against the waste of the nat
ural resources which can be renewed
like the food-producing soils and the
forests: and most of all it stands for
an equal opportunity for every Amer
n f,s.
benefit from these resources, both now
and hereafter
Conservation stands for the same
kind of practical common sense man
agement of this country by the people
tnat every business man stands for in
the handling of his own business. It
believes in prudence and foresight in
stead of reckless blindness; it holds
that resources now public property
should not become the basis for OBJ
pressive private monopoly: and it de-
mands the complete and orderly deve:
opment OF all our resources for the
benefit of all the people. instead of
the partial exploitation of them for the
benefit of a few. 1t recognizes fully
the right of the present generation to
use what it needs and all it needs of
the natural resources now available.
but 1T recognizes equally our obliga-
ton so to use what we need that our
descendants shall not be deprived of
what they need.
?. What has Conservation to do
with the welfare of the average man
today?
Conservation has much to do with
the welfare of the average man today.
1t proposes to secure a continuous and
abundant supply of the necessaries of
life. which means a reasonable cost of
living and business stability. 1t ad-
vocates fairness in the distribution Of
the benefits which flow from the nat
ural resources. 1t will matter very
little to the average citizen, when |
scarcity comes and prices rise, wheth- |
er he can not get what he needs be- |
cause there is none left or because he |
can not afford to pay for it. In both |,
cases the essential fact is that he can
not get what he needs. Conservation |!
holds that it is about as important IL |
see that the people in general get the |
benefit of our natural resources as to !
see that there shall be natural re.
left.
Conservation is the most democratic
movement that the people have not
only the right but the duty to control
The use of the natural resources which
ire the great sources of prosperity.
And it regards the absorption of these
'esources by the special interests, IN
ess their operations are under eff
'ective public control as a moral
wrong. Conservation is the applica-
ion of common sense to the common
problems for the coming good. and l
believe it stands nearer to the desires
and purposes of the aver.
lge man than any other policy now
before the American people.
3. What is the danger to the con-
ervation policies in the coming ses-
ion of congress-:
Congress must decide at this session
whether the great coal fields still in
'ublic ownership shall remain so. in
rider that their use may be controlled
With due regard to the interest of the
onsumer. or whether they shall pass
nto private ownership and be con-
rolled in the monopolistic interest of .
few.
Congress must decide also whether
valuable rights to the use
water power shall be given away to
pecial interests in perpetuity and
'ithout compensation. instead of being
cid and controlled by the public.
In most cases actual DEVELOPMENT of