Morris tribune., 1910-09-16
FEDERAL CONTROL
Endorsed by Delegates to Con-
SeTVatlOn Congress.
TEXT OF The RESOLUTIONS
Platform Follows Closely Recommen'
dations of Colonel Roosevelt
! and Clifford Pinchot.

st. Paul, Sept. 10.-The second Ma
tional Conservation congress, one of
the most notable gatherings ever held
in the United States, which was ad-
dressed by the president of the Unit
ed States, former president and
many other distinguished persons,
has ended. At it's closing session the
congress elected Henry Wallace, edi-
tor of Wallace's Farmer. of Des
Moines, president, to succeed Bernard
N. Baker of Baltimore. Clifford Pin
chot declined the Office, which was Of
fered him unanimously.
The resolutions adopted advocate
federal control of natural resources
and follow closely the ideas of Roose-
welt and Pinchot. They are in part:
Recognizing the natural resources
of the country as the prime bases of
property and opportunity, we hold the
rights of the people in these resources
to be natural and inherent, and justly
inalienable and indefeasible; and we
insist that the resources should and
shall be developed, used and conserved
in ways consistent both with current
welfare and with the perpetuity of our
people.
Recognizing the waters of the cOun-
try as great national resource we
approve and endorse the opinion of
Theodore Roosevelt that all the wa.
tiers belong to all the people and hold
that they should be administered in
the interest of all the people.
Federal Control of Water Power.
Recognizing the vast economic ben
eft to the people of water power de-
rived largely from interstate and
source streams no less than from nav
igable rivers, we favor federal control
of water power development; we deny
the right of state or federal govern
ments to continue alternating or con-
veying water by granting franchises
for the use thereof in perpetuity; and
we demand that the use of water
rights be permitted only for limited
periods, with just compensation in the
interests of the people.
Approving the withdrawal of pub
lie lands pending classification, and
the separation of surface rights from
mineral, we recommend legislation for
the classification and leasing for graz
ing purposes on unreserved public
lands suitable chiefly for this purpose,
subject to the rights of homesteaders
oOn1iciEiOn +hnpnnf
under the land laws of the United
States; and we hold that arid and non
irrigable public grazing lands should
be administered by the government in
the interest of small stockmen and
homeseekers until they have passed
into the possession of actual settlers.
eve hold that the deposits of i'm
portant minerals, underlying public
lands, particularly mineral fuels, iron
ores and phosphate deposits, should
be leased for limited periods not ex-
ceeding fifty years but subject to re-
newal, the royalty to be adjusted at
more frequent intervals, such leases
to be in amounts and subject to such
regulations as to prevent monopoly
and unnecessary waste.
Lease Alaskan Coal Fields.
1--WE hold that phosphate deposits
underlying the public lands should be
safeguarded for the American people
by appropriate legislation; and we
recommend the early opening of the
Alaskan and other coal fields belong
ing to the people of the United States
for commercial purposes on a system
of leasing, national ownership to be
retained.
1--WE approve of the continuance Of
the control of the national forests by
the federal government and approve
the policy of restoring to settlement
such public lands as are more valu-
able for agriculture.
I'VE earnestly recommend that the
states and federal government acquire
for demonstration lands not more val
liable for other purposes and that all
existing forests publicly and privately
owned be carefully protected by state
and federal governments. We recog-
nize the invaluable services of the for
est service to the people and earnestly
recommend that it be more generous
ly supported by the federal govern
ment and that state, federal and pri-
vate fire patrols be more generously
provided for the preservation of for
ests and human life; and we appre-
ciate and approve of the continuance
of the services of the United States
army in fire control in emergencies.
1--WE favor the repeal of the timber
and stone law.
I'VE endorse the proposition for the
preservation by the federal govern
ment of the Southern Appalachian and
White mountain forest"