The Caldwell tribune. [volume] (Caldwell, Idaho Territory [Idaho]) 1883-1928, 1909-08-21
POWER TRUST
DOES NOT EXIST

The dispatches indicate that Presi-
dent Taft is taking soothing interest
in the conflict between Mr.. Ballinger
the secretary of the interior, and Mr..
Pinchot, chief of the forestry bureau.
1t appears that the immediate cause OF
the friction between the two as deVel-
oped in the irrigation congress at Spo-
kane, was the difference of opinion
with respect to the appropriation and
use of water power sites. Under the !
Roosevelt administration Mr.. Pinchot I
was able to carry things with high :
hand and to do pretty much as he
liked whether there was law for it or
not, and under loose liberty thus &C
corded, he did many things contrary
to law. When Secretary Ballinger |
came into office he found number OF
| illegal orders in force which undertook
to withdraw from public entry large
areas of public land. A good many OF
these Withdrawals had been made I'M
der the pretense that these water
rights were to be reserved for the use
of the people, corporations and COM
bines being by executive order de-
priyed of the opportunity to acquire
them.
The cancellation of these orders, on
the attorney general declaring them to
De void under the law, made Pinchot
wild, and he undertook to use the il
rigation congress as means of vent
ing his rage upon the secretary of the
interior. The general situation is quite
fairly stated in the following editorial
from the Chicago Tribune of August
18th:
Mr.. Clifford Pinchot says the Taft
administration is solemnly pledged to
the support OF the Roosevelt policies.
That is true, but it is not obliged to
adhere to the Roosevelt methods OF
carrying them out when there are
available what it considers better
methods. If the last administration
made any mistakes in it's method OF
carrying out wholesome policies this
administration is not bound to stand
by them.
The question which chiefly con-
Germs the public in the event of a
change of methods, if there be one, will
be whether it will affect harmfully
the interests of the people. If not,
there is little to complain of. So if
| the cancellation by the present secre-
tary of the interior of withdrawing
! orders of public lands made by his
predecessor shall not result in. the
acquisition by water power trust OF
: sites which it would not otherwise
> have been able to get hold of, there
: would be nothing to which exception
] could properly be taken.
. IF certain withdrawal orders of
Secretary Garfield were illegal, as the
: attorney general says they were, they
ought to be rescinded. 1t is true, as
Mr.. Pinchot says, that the laws should
not have all the virtue squeezed out
S of them by rigid construction, but the
4 other extreme should also be avoided
3 Manifest violence should not be done
10 law, even to promote a good
h policy.
If 1t is not the function of the execu
: tive department to .egislate. If it shall
lind that existing laws do not pro
. mote fully the interests of the people
it should ask congress for laws tina
will protect them. The acting com
missioner of the general land offic
says that no rights to exploit waite
> powers have been granted to individ
= uals or corporations since the presen
9 secretary of the interior came into of
flee and that all entries covering waite
= power sites are being held up to avail
the action of congress. Then it is t
. congress that those who wish to pre-
= serve the sites for the people Shout
address themselves. There should b
no delay about enacting the needle
legislation"
re The notion that there could be an
or such thing formed as a water powe
he trust, covering the thousands c
ic steams of the United States seem
al too ridiculous for practical considers
IN ton; but that President Roosevelt
to had some such notion in mind is eV
dent from his veto of two bills passe
OF by congress, one of which related to
It river on the Canadian border whic
OF President Roosevelt vetoed and 500
in after found he had made a serious mii
d. take, and asked congress to re-ena,
as the bill so that he could sign it; tn
ch congress declined to do; it also n
I'D fused to reopen the question when h
vetoed bill covering water rights O
X stream in Missouri. The vet