The Wenatchee daily world. [volume] (Wenatchee, Wash.) 1905-1971, 1910-01-18

Out or the Work or the forest service
he proceeds, grew the conservation
moevment.
To-day that movement espresso!
one of our deepest national convic
tions,'' he says, and the principle:
for which it stands are received a:
automatic. 1t is only the execution
of them which remains in doubt.
THE great conference of governors
in the White House in May, 1908, lee
to the appointment of the nationa
conservation commission, whose re
port gave us new conception of the
value of our natural resources. II
told us what is needed for theil
prompt and orderly development an6
for their safety and perpetuation.
Recalls Roosevelt Message.
Together with President Roose
velt's message transmitting it's re
port, the recommendations of the
statement of the conservation policy
met our needs squarely and prescribed
practical recommendation for the
protection of our forests against fire
and the equitable forest taxation.
1.-THE classification of the public do
Fmain was strongly urged, and princi
pies for its use and disposition were
laid down. The necessity for preserv,
ing the fertility of our soils and de.
veloping their agricultural value by
drainage and otherwise was coverej
and particular attention was drawn
to the needss of retaining our phos-
phate lands, then in danger of ABSORB.
ton by foreign syndicate"
Enemies Wreck Plans.
Mr.. Pinchot then traced the rec
concentrations of the conference. ap.
plauding and indorsing them all. "Ir
word" he said, ''the report of the
commission and the message, taken
to gether, set forth a comprehensive
definite statement for the conserva.
ton of our natural resources.
Then he proceeded:
Eat this critical period, when the
goal was in sight, enemies of conser-
walton in congress not only succeeded
in preventing an appropriation with
which to pursue the work, but at
tempted to forbid it's progress by the
Tawney amendment to the last sun.
dry civil bill. Thereupon the work
of the national conservation commits.
sion was stopped.
Situation Is Serious.
THE recommendations of the com
mission still wait for action. All wise
men agree that the situation is ser.
ious. The Tawney amendment was
more than mistake-it was a de
liberate betrayal of the future. The
dangers which confront the conserva
ton movement today must be met by
positive action in congress. No &C
ton will be equivalent to bad action
and will have the same results.
Unless congress acts the water
powers will pass into the hands OF
special interests without charge and
without limit of time. So with the
phosphate deposits on public lands
when the Withdrawals which nov
protect them are removed So will
the enormously valuable coal deposit.
in Alaska, which the present Law
would sell for $40 per acre
Fears Special Interests.
''The danger of bad legislation i.
no less serious. The special interest
must no longer be allowed to tax,
what they choose out of the grea
property of all the people Those VIII,
steal public lands steal homes from
men and women who need them
Congress can stop the pillage or con
gress can let it go on.
in the absence of proper action
two. great conservation plans for tn
public welfare may fail The first i
the control of water powers on nav
| gable streams in the public interest
The second is the construction OF tn
deep water way from the great lake
to the gulf
Deep Water Way in Peril.
"The unanimous opinion of tn
Mississippi valley recognizes this wat
er way as commercial necessity. I
believes, with reason, that the cost
which is already officially known, vii
be trivial when compared with tn
benefits conferred. Transportation