The Salt Lake tribune. [volume] (Salt Lake City, Utah) 1890-current, 1910-06-07
Senator Nelson. Minnesota, Saws
Country Has Been Placed
in Strait-Jacket.
TOO MUCH CONSERVATION.
IS OPINION EXPRESSED
Let Present Generation Have
Benefit of COuntry's Re-
sources, He Declares.

| WASHINGTON. Juno 6.-Declaring
| that Alaska had been placed i'll a
| strait Jacket by the withdrawal OF
| the public lands. Senator Nelson today
| sharply criticised the policy of conserva-
| ton as practlced in that territory. The
| Minnesota senator was discussing the bill
authorizing the president to withdraw
from entry public lands for public pur-
| poses, which he advocated. The meas
| ure is one of series OF administration
| conservation bills and was taken UP on
motion Of Senator Smoot
| Mr.. Nelson's declaration attracted spc-
| cial attention because he is chairman OF
| The Ballineer-Pinchot committee and also
OF tho public lands committee OF the
| lie said 1t should be understood that he
did not mean TO criticise either the pres
| ent administration or the preceding one.
lie added he thought congress was as
| much 10 blame as any one.
Mr.. Nelson's address followed a speech
made by Senator Clark of Wyoming,
sharply crticising the bill.
Objections by Clark.
The Wyoming senator contended the
TOO wide, as 1t would supply legislative
interprc alton OF the words public pur-
poses lar more comprehensive than ever
had been given Il. He presented an an
|
ordinary acceptance Of its meaning. Mr..
Clark contended that the president never
had authority for the suspension of the
public land laws. He believed there ought
10 be some legislation giving such au-
thority. but he would have 1t properly
limited. Advocating the passage OF the
| tended that It imposed a restriction In
stead Of granting new authority. Never
had the presidents right to withdraw tho
public lands been questioned. he said.
N "
ccssive Withdrawals by Secretary Gar
field during the last month OF President
Roosevelts administration.
Mr.. Nelson found justification in exist
| Ing law for the withdrawal of the pub
| lic lands from entry. However. he IA :
| vored conservative action ON the part OF
the executive in dcprivlpg the public of
the opportunity to avail itself OF the
public resources. He thought that the
present generation should have full az
cess to these reservations. AS ilustra-
two of his contention that executive ac-
ton might go too far Mr.. Nelson In
stanced the course OF Secretary Garfield
about 100000 acres Of land In the west
during the last month Of President
Roosovclt's administration.
Should Care for the Living.
Mr. Nelson said that while he gavo his
adherence to conservation policy, he
did so only when IL was rational. lie
would have the public resources ad
ministered so as to afford the living
generation the opportunity of tho full
and proper use OF them,
There Will be plenty of water power
hundreds OF years after we are dead"
he said mo man can stop IL unless he
can stop precipitation from the clouds,
Why sould our supply of coal be tied
UP and the people prevented from utilIZ-
ing that fuel?'
Discussing tho application OF the con-
servation policy TO Alaska. he dwelt upon
The fact that except In the extreme
southern part Of that territory there was
no timber, aud that consequently the
people were without fuel unless they were
allowed to use the coal Of that region.
In face OF the fact that there are
valuable coal fields In various parts of
the territory the people have not been
given an opportunity to use Il ton OF IL,
with the consequence that they are COM
PEELED to bring their fuel either from Aus
tralia or China or around the horn from
compelled to pay from slc to $50 per
ton, when they ought to get II for So
Policy Is Denounced.
This he denounced as Conservation
run riot Between the Withdrawals for
forest reserves and on account Of the
placed in a strait-jackot and its de-
vclopmenr greatly restricted,
Mr.. Nelson was Interrupted several
times by Mr.. NewIands, who called at
tcntion to the fact that one OF Mr.. Nell
sons constituents, Mr.. Weyerhauser. the
lumber king" was the owner Of mil
non acres OF tl1nDsr ldn1S tnat tne NC
vada senator said ha had been ablo TO
acquire under "our misflt land laws
Mr.. Nelson replied that Mr. Weyer-
hauser had become one OF the most ar
dent conservationsts.
"Fe out-Herodcd Herod." he added
Mr. Newlands also fell into q contro-
versy with Mr.. Hughes Of Colorado over
statement by the former To tho effect
that one concern in Colorado had been
enabled to procure immense deposits OF
tercst Mr., Hughes denounced tho state
ment AS an aspersion upon the state and
declared it TO be radical and unwar-
ranted."