The Paducah evening sun. [volume] (Paducah, Ky.) 1906-1929, 1909-12-01
FALLING WATER
GREATEST POWER
CONGRESS MUST DECIDE FATE
OF COAL AND WATER.
II Few Men Control Sources OF Power
They VIII Eventually Control
Industry.
PINCHOT TO LYMAN ABBOTT

Washington, Dec. 1.-Gifford Pin
'chot, chief of the United States forest
service, declares that congress will
have to decide at its forthcoming ses-
sion whether the great coal fields of
the country shall continue to remain
in the hands of the people or be COB
bled up by monopolies, and whether
the great water power sites shall be
given away to special interests or be
controlled by the people.
Mr.. Pnchot makes his views on
these two "chief sources of the power
of the present and future" in a letter
to DIR. Lyman Abbott, of New York,
in response to a series of questions
asked by the latter on "the national
conservation policy" which was made
public today.
Talks Of Water Power.
Referring to the development of
water power and coal, the govern
ment forester declared that in most
cases actual development Of the for
mer can best be done by private in
terests acting under public control.
but that sit is neither good sense nor
good morals to let these valuable
privileges pass from the public owner
ship for nothing and forever"
in answer to DIR. Abbott's question,
I'What is the danger to the conserva-
ltion policies in the coming session OF
congress-" Mr. Pinchot declares that
liz is that "the privileges of the few
may continue 20 obstruct the rights
of the many, especially IN the matter
OF water power and coal"
Congress must decide at this ses-
Ision," Mr.. Pinchot says, whether the
great coal fields, still in public owner
ship, shall remain so, in order that
their use may not be controlled in
the monopolistic interests of a few"
Congress Must Decide.
Gong ess must decide also whether
immensely valuable rights to the use
of water power shall be given away
TO special interests in perpetuity and
without compensation, instead of be-
ing held and controlled by the pub
lie"
why is 1t important to protect
the water powers?" asks DR.. Abbott,
and in reply Mr.. Pinchot points out
that it = of the fret importance to
prevent them from passing into pri-
vate ownership. as they have been
doing. because the greatest source of
power we know is falling water.
under our form of civilization"
he says. eff a few men ever succeed
in controlling the sources of power.
they will eventually control all in
dustry as well. II they succeed in
controlling all industry, they will
necessarily control the country"
Public Handwriting Itself.
Mr.. Plnchot adds that he can see
''no reason why We should deliber-
ately keep on helping to fasten the
handouts of corporate control upon
ourselves for all time merely because
the few men who would profit by II
most have heretofore had the power
TO compel it."
As one OF the essential things that
must be done to protect the water
powers of the people, the granting OF
water powers forever, either on nom
navlgable or navigable streams, must
absolutely stop, according to Mr.. Pin
chot. He declares that ct is just as
wrong as it is foolish, and Just as
needless as 1t is wrong, to mortgage
the welfare Of cur children in such
way as this"
Explains Conservation.
Explaining what conservation
means, Mr.. Pinchot declares that Il
stands against the waste of the nat
ural resources which cannot be re-
newed, such as coal and iron.
1t stands for the perpetuation OF
the resources which can be renewed,
and most OF all, II stands for an equal