The Spokane press. [volume] (Spokane, Wash.) 1902-1939, 1909-08-10

!
There are two opinions about
Dick Ballinger; one that Ballinger
has been fooled.
Carter is a republican United
States senator from Montana.
Collins was the United States
registrar of lands at Helena under
Grover Cleveland. Now he is the
power trusts man.
Ballinger was United States land
commissioner under Roosevelt and
is now President Taft's secretary
of the interior.
All the countries of Europe and
the islands of the sea have, for
years and some for centuries, con-
served the national land, water and
forests. Ten years ago Canada put
into effect a comprehensive sys-
tenn of laws to protect timber and
water and land. 1t remained for
Roosevelt to bring the American
people to their senses in regard
to conservation of timber, land and
water power. OF all the beneficent
activities of the Roosevelt admin
istration nothing stands out more
conspicuously than Roosevelt's de-
termined effort to conserve to the
people and their children the enor-
nous undeveloped wealth of the
great west.
1t remains to be seen whether
Ballinger deliberately attempted to
destroy Roosevelt's good work and
did reopen Montana lands in the
especial interest of his friends, Car
ter, Collins and others, or whether
he simply did not realize the inn
portance of his acts, or was be-
trayed by his friends. 1t remains
to be shown why Senator Tom
Carter did what he did. However,
this may be stated positively: The
lands have been seized-boldly
taken from the public-and Roose.
velts midnight work during his
last hours of office has, to this
measure. been undone.
Who is responsible? The final
answer may come from President
Taft.
The Amalgamated Copper Co.,
with power sites secured since
Roosevelt left office, is now in alb
solute possession of the Missouri
river from Three Forks, in south
western Montana, to the alkali
plains west of Great Falls. This
river holds probably the most val
liable water power sites in the ma
ton. These, all in the hands of
the trust, gives to it complete
power to shut out competition for
all time, and force every home.
farm and factory within an area of
1000 square miles to pay tribute to
former Senator w. H. Clark, the
Guggenheims and their associates.
On June II last there was filed
at the United States land office at
Bozeman, Mont, an entry on the
1858 acres of land that cinched
the monopoly.
This entry was made for the
United Missouri River Power Co.,
a New Jersey corporation capital
lied at $10,250,000. This corpora
ton was promoted by ex-senator
Clark of Montana, and his asso-
ciate, H. T. Hauser, 40 Wall street,
New York, who are the leading
spirits in Amalgamated Copper
Like all New Jersey corporations
it has eternal life. 1t was organ
lied as merger of the Missouri
River Power Co. and the Helena
Power Transmission Co.
1t may be merely a coincidence
that this merger company was in
corporated in New Jersey just al
the time that the retirement OF
Garfield indicated a possibility oil
the breaking down of the Roosevelt
conservation policy in Montana.
These entries we're made by Jere
miah Collins, land agent for the
power trust, with offices in Wash
ington and Helena. Much Of the
land was entered in the name OF
George l.. Ramsey, president OF
the United Bank & Trust Co. OF
Helena.
l inquired at the Union bank as
to whether Ramsey would sell any
of these lands.
ooh, those lands do not belong
to Mr.. Ramsey" replied Samuel