The San Francisco call., 1909-12-01
PINCHOT AGAIN
HURLS def
AT BALLING[R
Says Congress Must Decide
Whether or Not Coal Fields
Shall Be GObbIed Up
Chief Forester Makes Known
His Views il Letter to DR..
Lyman Abbott

WASHINGTON, Nov. SO.-Gifford Pin
chot chief Of the United State forest
service. has again thrown down the
gauntlet to Secretary of the Interior
Ballinger in regard to the conservation
policy He declared that congress will
have to decide at its coming session
whether the great coal fields of the
country shall continue TO remain in the
hands OF the people or be gobbled up
by monopolies. and whether great
water power sites shall be given away
10 special interests or be controlled
by the people.
MAKES KNOWN HIS VIEWS
Pinchot makes known his views
upon these two chief sources Of power
Of the present and future" in letter to
Dr. Lyman Abbott OF New York, in re-
spouse to a series OF questions asked
by the latter on .the national conserva-
Iion policy"
Referring to the development of
water power and coal fields. the gov
ernment forester declares that in most
cases actual development of the former
can best be done by private interests
acting under public control, but that 1t
is neither good sense nor good morals
10 let these valuable privileges pass
from the public ownership for nothing
and forever"
CONGRESS MUST DECIDE
Congress must decide at this ses-
sion" Pinchot says, whether the great
coal fields still in public ownership
shall remain so in order that their use
may be controlled with due regard to
the interests of the consumer. or
whether they shall pass into private
ownership and be controlled in the mo-
nopolistic interests of a few.
Congress 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 public"
why is it important TO protect the
water powers?" asked Doctor Abbott,
and. in reply, Pinchot points out that
IL is OF the first Importance TO prevent
them from passing into private owner
ship. as they have been doing, because
the greatest source of power we know
is falling water.
WOULD CONTROL COUNTRY
Under our form of civiliza ton" he
says. If a few men ever succeed in
viii eventually control all industry as
Well II they succeed in controlling all
industry. they viii necessarily control
the country"
Pinchot adds that he can see mo
reason why we should deliberately keep
on helping 10 fasten the handouts Of
corporate control upon ourselves for all
time, merely because the few men who
would profit by il most have heretofore
L. 20
As one of the essential things that
must be done to protect the water
powers for the people the granting OF
water powers forever. either on nom
navigabIe OF navigable streams must
absolutely stop according to Pinchot
After stating that IL can not be right
10 grant perpetual rights to the one
great permanent source of power Pin
chot declares that 1t is just as wrong
as ii is foolish and just as needless as
Il is wrong TO mortgage the welfare of
our children in such a way as this.
Water powers must and should be de-
veloped mainly by private capital and
they must be developed under condi
tions which make investment in them
profitable and safe"
OPPOSES PERPETUAL RIGHTS
He adds, however, that neither profit
nor safety requires perpetual rights.
no reason whatever why special inter
ests should be allowed TO use them for
profit without making some direct pay
ment to the people for the valuable
rights derived from the people"
1T is just as essential for the public
welfare that the people should retain
and exercise control Of water power
monopoly on navigable as on nonnavi-
gable streams" Pinchot states in reply
10 the question, Does the same princi-
PIE apply 10 navigsble streams as to
nonnavigable2"
IF the difficulties are greater" he
concludes, then the danger that the
water powers may pass out of the peo-
pies hands on the lower navigable
parts Of the streams is greater than
on the upper nonnavigable parts, and
il may be harder. but in no way less
necessary, 10 prevent
Explaining what conservation means,
Pinchot declares that IL stands against
the waste of the natural resources that
can not be renewed. such as coal and
iron: IL stands for the perpetuation of
the resources that can be renewed, and.
most Of all, II stands for an equal op-
10 get his fair share Of benefit from
these resources, both now and forever.
In discussing What has conserva-
ton TO DO with the welfare OF the aver
age man today?" ii is pointed out that
.ft proposes to secure a continuance
and abundant supply Of the necessaries
Of life which means reasonable cost
without loss OF business stability. IT
advocates fairness in the distribution of
the BENEFITS which flow from the natu-
raj resources"