The San Francisco call., 1910-12-30
JOHNSON PROMISES
ALL A SQUARE DEAL
Country's Hope Is in the Pro-
gressiyes, Says Governor
Elect
Pardee Scores ''Water Grabs
and Directs Shafts at
Colonel Forbes
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Continued from Page
efforts. Some of them expected to hear
the governor elect instruct the mem
bers of the Legislature. He did nothing
of the sort. And, without any of those
things. his brief speech was richer in
the promise of good government and
filled with more good policies than all
the speeches most of those men had
ever heard
CAME To LEARN
Il did not come here to make a
speech" said johnson. IT came simply
to say that I am here to learn. I hope
and expect that from the efforts of
these gentlemen may learn something
that will help me during the next three
months. 1t was with that spirit that
went on the eastern trip 1 have just
completed. I did learn. 1 learned that
the east is more populous; that New
York is weather and that we Of the
west are 1000 miles ahead of them in
political economy. We can teach them
how to govern themselves.
This countrys hope is in the pro-
gress1ve movement, not alone the pro-
gressive movement in the republican
party but also in the democratic ranks
That movement stands for freedom of
government from every special inter
est. 1t stands for making government
responsive to the people and the people
only. 1t Is represented by the men that
La Toilette, of Wisconsin, leads. / am
proud that California is progressive
state. l have said that I came here
to learn at the feet of these experienced
men. 1 am going to Sacramento Sun
day night to sit at the feet of all of
them and learn. I do not care what
their previous Affiliations have been. /
am going there with the hope and the
belief that every man is going for
ward with us to make this government
responsive to the people and the people
only. And / am going to believe that of
every man until he proves the contrary
by his own acts
PARDEE SCORES FORBES
accommodations for revolutionary
change in the system of controlling
public service corporations and the
granting of franchises; for radical and
comprehensive changes in the control
of the states water and a laughable
scoring of Col. E. A. Forbes, of Marys-
vile, by former Governor George c.
Pardee were other features of the open
at the Palace yesterday afternoon.
The conversation recommendations
submitted in detail touched only the
waters question. Those recommends
tions were submitted in the form of a
draft for a bill which was read by
former Governor George C. Pardee and
of which the general provisions were
foretold by The Call yesterday morn
ing. Pardee said that his committee
nf
servation for subsequent consideration,
but that a. bill would b q $50 ls7r,- and ..r :
mftted to the Legislature early In the
session. He also said that his COM
mittee would formulate and submit a
bill providing for the commission on
natural resources, empowered to prose-
cute Investigations and compile data
for the use of the Legislature of 1913
BIG WATER GRABS
BY way of Introduction to his renort
Pardee said that water power sites
representing a potential DEVELOPMENT
of approximately 6,000,00 horsepower
had been grabbed and the major nor
t1on put into cold storage by the grab
bers, who would neither use the power
themselves or permit others to use it,
He declared that among the notable
grabs We're those appropriating all the
waters of the Pitt river, the McCloud
river and the Fall river. That the ap-
preparations had been made within the
law Pardee admitted, but he declared
that 1T was up to the people to protect
themselves against further grabs and
cold storage of one of their greatest
resources.
1t was Colonel E. A. Forbes accept
ance of an invitation to discuss the
conservation recommendations submit
ted by Pardee that resulted in his good
natured but effective faying by Pardee
and several minutes devoted to laugh
ter and applause that tempered the
laughter with very apparent serious
ness. Forbes is one OF the big men
of the Sacramento valley. He was one
of Pardee's supporters, one of the or
ganizers of the Lincoln Roosevelt
league and one of the vice presidents
of that organization. He is also in
terested in the development of water
powers at least in so far as such de-
velopment is related to the transporta-
tion industry of the Sacramento val
ley.
RETARD DEVELOPMENT
Forbes said that many million horse
power was going to waste in northern
California and that millions of dollars
would be required to develop it. He
declared that he believed in regulation,
but that he also believed that the en-
actment of the proposed Legislation
would discourage the investment of
private capital and retard the develop
ment of the states resources. Forbes
interest in the development of power
gave Pardee an opening he was quick
to take.
The natural resources of the state"
said Pardee, belong to the people Of
the state and we believe that they
should be used for the benefit and
not for the oppression OF the people.
We would not take from the colonel
one drop of the water that he has
grabbed and put in cold storage; le-
gally. Of course. but we would say to
future colonels and to the colonel in
future you shall not grab any more
and hold 1T upon the mere pretext of
an intention TO develop it,
Amid shouts lof laughter Pardee as
sured his audieice that Colonel Forbes
was an entirely innocent party in the
water grabs referred to, and In fact
the victim of his wicked partners"
Another frhnd of mine - some
times" said Pa-dee, 'T B. Walker of
Minnesota, has secured nearly 1,000,0
acres of the best forest land in this
state. He has done this legally, of
course. We can not take this land
away from hin. Probably we would
not If we could, but we should prevent
another from ehttino such a slfra and