Evening times-Republican. [volume] (Marshalltown, Iowa) 1890-1923, 1909-02-03
Conservation Plan Revised by
Pincl,ott and Project Re-
ceives Setback
GOVERNMENT SIMPLY ADVISER
Bonding Proposition Practically Killed
by Opposition in House Committee
Probable Some of the States Will
Fail to Take Effective Action on For
estry Question.

Washington, Feb. 3.-The report re-
Gently made by the conservation con-
gress is exciting a good deal of atten
ton among public men in this city. II
comes from the pen of Clifford Pinchot
government forester. and chief pro-
moter of the national conservation pol
icy adopted by President Roosevelt
and rather upsets some of the precon-
ceived notions the public has had con-
corning conservation and the proper
part the federal government should
play in bringing 1t about.
1t is quite evident that If Mr.. Pin
chot ever held that the federal govern
work of conserving all the natural re-
sources of the country, he holds so no
longer He recognizes that the states
have duties to perform In this direc-
ton. and the point is made that the
part of the federal government is only
about one third of the whole. instead
of being practically three thirds.
This is new doctrine and 1t probably
will take 'the admirers of President
Roosevelt and the supporters of his
conservation scheme some time to adj
just themselves to ii.
Bonding Bill Doomed.
Two bills in the house have resulted
from the Pinchot report. one of them
provides for a great federal bond issue
in the interest of internal improve
ments This bill has gone to the ways
and means committee, where 1t Will
quietly die No effort will be made by
the committee to report the bill. for
the committee, almost unanimously, Is
opposed to the principle underlying it.
That ends the bond issue question.
not only for this session of congress.
but for the future sessions, also; at
least. so long as the men now in control
of house affairs remain in public life.
The other bill provides for official
recognition of the conservation COM
mission named by the president. This
bill has gone to the committee on in
terstate and foreign commerce. which
has already reported favoraby and put
thru the house a bill of similar char
acter, but differing in detail from the
one sent in as a result of Mr.. Pin
chot's activities.
The report of Mr. Pinchot contains a
curious vindication of the policy OF
Speaker Cannon in opposing the crea-
ton of the Appalachian forest reserve
in the southern portion of that range of
mountains. The Pinchot report shows
that congress has no authority, no
right, to acquire the lands for this pro-
posed reserve, but that work should be
done by the several states within which
the lands are situated, these states act
ing together under q common plan.
Speaker Cannon has said from the
beginning and his position has for
several years called down upon him
much adverse criticism from Well
meaning but misinforned people-that
the states should acquire the land for
this great forest reserve, but that the
federal government would be- glad to
co operate with them and do what it
believed was it's fair share toward
making the affair success.
Think States Won't Act.
The report of Mr.. Pinchot and his
commission suggests that the states
should look after the protection of Wa
ter powers, the erosion of soils and va
rious other things of a similar charac-
ter. This will mean the expenditure Of
large sums of money, and in the op1n-
ion of leading congressman, the aban-
donment of this particular feature of
the conservation program, as i'm their
judgment the states will be unwilling
to burden themselves with the expense
necessary to carry the work thru.
Congress can legally. under the new
view of the conservation question
which is being taken here, regulate