Evening journal., 1910-09-09
INTERESTS HALT
CONSERVATION
Former Forester So Tells Con-
SeryatiOniStS at st. Paul
Meeting Today
ADVOCATES PUBLIC
OWNERSHIP OF FORESTS

OWNERSHIP OF FORESTS
ST. PAUL. Sept. 9.--"During the
first part Of the agitation for con-
servation," said Gffford Pinchot be-
fore the National Conservation Con-
gress today, conservation met with
little opposition for It interfcred with
no mans private profit From the
beginning Of the world the preaching
OF righteousness I'm general terms
has been contemplated with entire
equanimity by men who rise in vio-
lent protest when their own particu-
lar privilege, graft or advantage
comes into question.
Conservation has now passed into
the stage of practical lighting at
tempt to get things done. IL has be-
gun TO step on the toes Of the bene-
iiciaries and prospective benehciaries
Of unjust privilege. The resulting
opposition, considering the quarters
whence It comes. is one of the best
proofs that conservation is live
movement for the public good.
THE demand from the opponents
Is not that we shall abandon the
principle of the greatest good for all
OF us for the longest time. The soft
pedal conservauonist merely asks
that conservation shall be safe. sane
and practical Safe and sane legisla-
tion, as that expression Is used by the
men who use It most, means legisla-
ton not unfriendly TO the continued
control of our public affairs by the
special interests. Safe and sane con-
servatlon means conservation so ster-
ilized that Il will do the special in
terests no harm and the people no
good. Real conservation is putting
public welfare ahead Of corporate
profit and keeping II there.
"The sanity and safety OF conser-
vation were never called into question
until conservation began TO be really
embarrassing TO the grabbers and ef-
fectve to the public interests. I'm
not a soft pedal conservationist my
self.
Special Interests Prevent Progress.
"The one great obstacle to prac-
teal progress of conservation lay I'm
the political power of the special in
terests Every effort 70 conserve nat
ural resources for the general well
fare was met by legislative agents OF
the men who wanted to exploit these
resources for their private profit
80 long as the, political domina.
ton OF the great interests endures
corrupt control of legislation will car
ry with IL the monopolistic contro
OF natural resources. This Is wha
We face today in the effort 10 appl
conservation. The conservation pro
7; gram Is definite and concrete.
z has been 50 almost from the time u
e conservation movement was born
5f the Congress- OF Governors at q
White House. The principles a
Z. few and simple. One OF the a
" is that the natural Resources belc
". TO all the people and should be
d.. veloped, protected and perpetua
mainly for the profit OF all the /
nj = a : n. Z. -. q
= 'sse kiid n5p nRsQhTy fq6r VIZ pfSf6IYt
the few Another principle is th
the natural resources still owned
the people which are necessaries
" life, like coal and water move
. should remain IN public ownersh
4 ana disposed OF only under leases Il
limited periods with fair compens,
! ton TO the public for rights granite,
AS 10 our waters, every strear
should, as soon as possible, be mad
useful for every purpose for whic
IL can be made to serve the publi
t. and every power site now IN state o
federal control should be held so.
! AS TO our forests, all forests nee
2 essary for the public welfare shoul,
be In the public ownership. such Id
the national forests already i'm ex
istenee, the proposed Appalachian
and White Mountain National forests
and the state forests OF New York
! Pennsylvania. Wisconsin and othel
states.
THE protection Of existing forest,
J by wise use Is the first step In forest
ry. Reforestation is the second.
Land bearing forests should b,
taxed annually on the land value alon,
and the timber crop should be take,
when It is cut, so private forestr,
r may be encouraged.
The private ownership Of fores
land is a public trust, and the peopl
have both the right aud the duty /,
= regulate the use of such lands I'm tn
general interest
AS to lands. every acre of Ian
should be put to whatever use woui
make II most useful to all the people.
The fundamental object Of our Ian
l policy should be the making and main
tenance Of permanent properou
: homes. Land monopoly and excesslv
holdings must not be tolerated.
Settlement must be encouraged b
= every legitimate means on all the Ian
that will support homes. Thus IN
tillable land In public ownership with
Z In and without the national forest
: should be disposed of in fee simpe I
, actual homemakers, but not to specu
/, lators
FayOrS Leasing of Lands.
AS 70 our minerals, those still re
J naming In government ownershi
should not be sold but should b
leased upon terms favorable 10 thei
development up to the full require
ments OF our people. Until Legislation
70 this effect can be enacted, tempo
rary Withdrawals OF land containing
coal, oil, gas and phosphate rock ar
required IN order to prevent specula
tion and monopoly.
II is the clear duty of the fedora
government as we'll as that of tn
states 10 provide through investiga
ton, legislation and regulation agains
loss OF life and waste OF mineral re
sources IN mining. The recent crea
tional OF a national bureau Of mine
? makes a real advance in the right Il
rectlon.
in the effort to conserve our nat
ural resources, we must recognize tina
a combinations against the nuhlfc yval