Los Angeles herald., 1910-09-27

Interest in the opening day Of the
American Mining congress centereu
in the speech of Clifford Pinchot iasC
night, in which he defended the polcy
of conservation of the natural re-
sources of the United States, set forth
several things not generally under
stood by many mining men OF the
country. and threw on this great ma
tlonal problem light where In many
nlaces there had been darkness ana
doubt of the true purpose OF the great
men back of conservation and the VI
innate outcome if it is put in practlce'
Mr. Pinchot made a careful exam
ination into the affairs and operations
of oil men in the great San Joaquin
vaIlev and came to the congress 1ully
nrenared to express his views on con-
servation as he has advanced them
for MANY years, but with certain MOD
ifications that will include mining for
oil in the state of California on gov
ernment land
Last year the government Withdrew
all unclaimed land containing OH "
a certain area in the San Joaquin val
lev. leaving the Southern Pacihc WIN
every alternate section upon Whlch
to drill oil wells at pleasure. Great
dissatisfaction arose among the lnue-
nendent operators, and the result was
that clifford Pinchot came to explain
and urge that mining men OF al
classes cooperate with the other peo-
ple of the country in eliminating waste
and control by large interests ana ac-
complishing the restoration to the peo-
nIe of large areas that through former
had legislation were permitted TO sip
from the control Of the people (go'-
A great point made by Mr. Pinchot
last night was that production Woulo
not be curtailed, or checked IN the
least, but that waste, including not
only forest fires, but human life IN
mines and above ground on the natu-
raj resources, would be eliminated as
much as possible. A point highly IA
vorable to the mining men was that
mining men would be permitted TO
use the water and forests upon or
contiguous to their properties, ana the
RIGHT to strip these lands by other than
legitimate mining men in the VlclnlIy
would not be permitted, nor Woulo
the water rights be given to any otner'
He said that powerful interests IN
cIudins bankers and railroads, were
handing together to fight for control
of these privileges, long enjoyed ana
abused. but that the American people
we've aroused in defense of their Sow
ereign rights, and that these banded
interests were bound to be defeated.
Mr. Pinchot made these statements
not as threats, but simply TO make ms
position clear that the time hao ar
rived for a more coInpIete coltlUI d''i.oo, %
o-overnment and it's natural resources
than has ever DeIore eAls'0" Aii Wv
United States.
Tn the beginning Mr.. Pinchot pald a
high tribute to DR.. Joseph A. Homes,
tbe recently appointed director of the
bureau of mines, created last spring
at fine instance of the American Min
inc congress- AS to conservation IN
general he said:
WORK FOR ALL PEOPLE
ATTACKS upon the conservationists
are based for the most part upon mis-
understanding. The conserVatlonlstS
ore WORKING for all the people, and the
,1o1icv of conservation must eventually
benefit all the people. The funua-
mental principle of conservation is
that the natural resources belong 10
ali the people Of the United States ana
-to,IId he protected for their benet1t.
T., the past the few have been benefit
cd The people of the nation wish TO
change this condition and they will.
Jas 10 water power. Every stream
sbouId be made to serve the public to
the best advantage and not be per
mitted to fall into the hands or the
few. . o,4.4.
ought to be trusted to apply common
sense in the handling of their property;
Conservation answers the purpose or
the people and all should profit there
from. The policy of conservation, as
the people are coming to see it, is per-
fectiy simple, but I must say that a
great combination is now forming
among big interests to fight for the
control of the water power of the gov
ernment The government is trying to
avoid the PASSAGE of these water power
rights to the big interests, and all
should labor for the preservation of
them.
1.-THE rights Of state and nation in
regard to conservation have been a
cause of division among some, but this
should not be, for the several states
and the nation can work together in
in the same harmony as
they have labored in the past in all
great problems concerning the people.
For here is a great point to be con-
sidered: In relation to water power,
for example, conservation is not to pre-