The Salt Lake tribune. [volume] (Salt Lake City, Utah) 1890-current, 1909-12-01
PINCHOT READY TO
MEET The ISSUE
Throws Down Gage of Battle to
BalliDger in Letter to DR..
Lyman Abbott.
POINTS OUT QUESTIONS
CONGRESS- MUST DECIDE
Insists That Private Interests
Must Not Grab Rights Be-
longing to Public.

w WASHINGTON. Nov. 30-Giforc
Pinchot, chief of tho United States for
est server, has again thrown down III,
gauntlet To Secretary of the Iuterio
B'eliDgcr i'll regard to the conserva
tion policy, He declared that congress
will have to decide at It's coming ses
sion whether the great coal fields o
the country shall continue 20 rcuIaiI
IN The hands or the people, or he gob
blcd up BY monopolies. and whethe
great waterpower sites shall be givcl
away to special interests. or he con
lrolled by the people
Mr.. Pinchot makes known his view
upon these two ''cbief sources Of pow
or of the present and future" in
letter 10 DR., Lyman Abbott Of Ncv
York, in response to n series of qucs
lions asked by the latter on "the na
tlonai conservation policy
Public Should Control.
Referring to the development o
watcrpowcr and coal fields the govern
nient chief forester declares that II
most cases actual development of flu
former can best be done by private in
tercsts, acting under public control. bu
that fit is neither good sense no
good morals to let these valuable priv
lcges Dass from the public ownership
for nothing and forever.'
In answer to DR.. Abbott 8 question
"Wbat is the danger to the conscrva
ton policies in inc coming session o
congresS1i Mr.. Pinchot declares tha
it is "thc privileges Of the few ma!
continue 10 obstruct the rights OF thu
many, especially in the matter of water
power and coal.
Congress must decide at this Sos
sion. Mr.. Pinchot saws. whether I'll,
great coal fields. still in public owner
ship shall remain SO, IN order that thei
use may be controlled with due regarC
10 the interest of the consumer. o
whether they shall pass into priYat'
ownership and he controlled in the mo
nopolistlc interests of few.
Now Up TO Congress.
Congress must decide also whethe
Immensely valuable rights TO the ust
of watcrpower shall be given away t'
special interests III pcrpctuity and with
out compensation instead of being hclc
aud controlled by the public.
1'Why is it important to protect tbs
water powers 80 asked DR.. Abbott, and
in reply, Mr.. PiDchot points out thai
it is of the 6Tst Importance TO pre-
vent them from passing into privat,
ownership. as they have been doing, be
cause the greatest source of power w
know is falling water.
"Cnder our form OF civilization. - h,
says. 'if few men ever succeed II
controlling the sources of power they
will necessarily control The country
Mr.. Pinchot adds that, he can sec
no reason why we should deliberately
keep on helping TO fasten the hand
cuffs Of corporate control upon our
selves for all time, merely because The
few men who would profit by it most
have heretofore had the power TO com
pei it.
Check Perpetual Giants.
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 non
or navigable streams. must
absolutely stop, according TO Mr.
Pinchot. After stating that il cannot
he right TO grant perpetual rights to
the one great permanent source OF DOW
er, Mr.. Pincbot declares that lit Is
Just as wrong as 1t rs foolish. and Just
as needless as il is wrong, to mortgage
the welfare of our children in such q
way rs this. Water powers must and
should he developed mainly by private
and they must be developed
under conditions which make invest
ment in them profitable and safe
He adds. however, that neither profit
nor safety requires perpetual rights.
Mr.. Pinchot declares, further that
there is "'no reason whatever why
special interests should be allowed 10
some direct payment to The people for
the valuable rights derived from the
people.
= |'It is Just rs essential for the public
welfare that the people should retain
and exercise control of water power
monopoly 90 navigabe as on non -uavi-
gable streams Mr. Pinchot states In
reply to the question, @ Does the same
apply to naViGuble streams
as 10 non -navlgable streams
Danger is Greater.
.'If the difficulties arc greater be
declares, "thcu the danger that the
water powers may pass out of the peo.
plc's bands on the lower navigable
ON the upper non-naviGable parts, and
it may he harder, but IN no way less
necessary to prevent.
Explaining what conservation means.
Mr. Piuchot declares that IL stands
against the waste of the natural re.
sources that cannot he renewed, such
rs coal and iron; and IT stands for the
of the resources that can
be renewed; and. most of all, it stands
for an equal opportunity for every
American citizen to get his fair share
Of benefit from these resources, both
now and forever,
In discussing "Whst has couServa-
ION to do with The welfare of the av-
rrage man todays' it is pointed out
that .'Tt proposes TO secure continu-
nncc and abundant supply Of the nee
,Ssaries of life, which means a reason
able fairness in the distribution of tho
benefits which flow from the natural
rcsOurcps y