The evening times. [volume] (Grand Forks, N.D.) 1906-1914, 1910-06-08
SENATOR BORAH
FAvORS AN OPEN
CONSERVATION
Opposes Locking Up the Nat
ural Resources When They
Are Needed.
CREATION OF VAST RESERVES IS
DRIVING FARMERS INTO CANADA

ress-Shipping Of Coal to Pacific
Northwest While Mines There Are
Undeveloped is Robbery.
Washington, June S.-"What we
want Is sane, practical conservation
policy, under reasonable regulation,
permitting the development of our
natural resources in accordance with
the natural laws of progress and in
dustrial growth" declared Senator
Borah in addressing the senate today
during consideration of conservation
legislation.
Mr.. Borah spoke as the champion
Of the west. 1T would be a magni-
ficent scheme, indeed" he exclaimed,
Ito compel the whole great west to
hold its vast resources in idleness, de-
prive its people of their enjoyment and
use and compel them to pay tribute
to those resources of which you have
taken possession here in the east and
developed at your own free will"
Contending that it was violation
of every principle of the constitution
to withhold power sites from the use
of the western states, Mr.. Boraa1 in
quired: IF Illinois or Massachusetts
receives thousands or even millions of
dollars as revenue for their water
power and Idaho receives nothing, but,
on the other hand, pays millions into
the federal treasury, is there equality
among the states?" He said that the
contention that natural resources in
state belonged to all the people Of
the United States was all right in the
ory but that in practice 1t was utter
ly untrue.
Our power sites do not in any
sense of the term belong to the peo-
pie of New England or New York. v
continued the senator. "They are to
he utilized by those who make them
selves citizens of the state and Join
with others in trying to build up a
commonwealth" He argued that it
never had been the theory of the gov
ernment that these resources should
be utilized as revenue producing
proposition but that they were for the
benefit of all the people. But" he
said, the people must come within
the state in order to avail themselves
of the use and benefit"
Use Is Essential.
Mr.. Borah said congress could not
promote conservation by treating
power sites. which to utilize was to
consume. AS to undeveloped natural
resources he said that after congress
had adopted laws to prevent waste.
extravaganza and monopoly so as to
insure their economic and bona fide
use by the people. it was about as far
as the United States government could
go. He added that as to timber there
always should be the encouragement
and aid Of reforestation as that was
something that could be reproduced.
Every water power site unused.
locked up in idleness and inactivity
when there are communities to serve,
/ is subtraction from the sum of hu-
man happiness and prosperity" he
continued. Every piece of land which
will produce the necessaries of life
dedicated by law to non-use. incor-
porated in a reserve and denied to
settleme is an extra burden upon
every man who buys the necessaries
of life. Every year in which thousands
Of feet of ripened lumber are permit
ted to rot and fall in the reserves
you are stealing something from the
human race that belongs to 1t. and
every year that the great coal beds
of the Pacific slope go undeveloped it
costs this government its extra mil
lions to send coal around to the Pa
cific. burdens every citizen in that
part of the country with exorbitant
freight charges. and puts extra MIL
lions into the hands of eastern coal
companies who delighted to see this
go on"
Economic use and development
should he the basic and fundamental
principle Of any conservation policy
agreed upon or incorporated into law.
said Senator Borah.
"These resources are not to lie idle.
imprisoned and unusable." he urged.
"If you join with us in that PROPOSE
tion. we will gladly join you in for
mulating a policy Of regulation and
control which will avoid waste. ex-
travagance and monopoly as far as
possible. But upon a policy of nom
use. Of strangulation of the great
west. we stop at the first call for leg
islation If strangulation is to be had,
it will first be tried upon some of the
measures in this body.
I'VE have reached. it seems. that
pitiable. indefensible position accord
ing to these who would tie up our
resources. where we are willing to
confess before the world that as law
makers we are ineff1cient. as admin
istrators worthless. and that our citi-
unnchir> {o onG ,,>tk hot
we can no longer do business. but out
Of sheer impotency. must shut up
chop. denounce such theory as
libel upon our citizenship. a man
ufactured and well-distributed libel
upon the west. and for Interior and
selfish motives"
Senator Rorah declared that any