The watchman and southron. [volume] (Sumter, S.C.) 1881-1930, 1910-01-19
PtIoT's WlRHIne NOTE.
FoFNrER CHIEF FORESTER
MAKES PUBLIC STATEMENT.
Water Power sites and Coal Lands
ne1pnsing % Government Are In
nanger Of Being Gobbled Up by
qpec1al Interests, Declares Man Re-
noved From Oaficc by President.


she conservation Of popular govern
mtnt are both at stake. The one
' needs conservation no less than the
other."
The statement epitomizes the for
mai announcement made public to-
night BY Oxford Pinchot. who was
recently removed as chief of the for
ct service. The former official de-
clarse the great moral Issue that now
feeeo the country II not the loss OF
MATERIAL resources. so much as wheth-
o. special interests or the people
shall rule. The statement, In part is
- follows:
"At this time have no comment
tcima<e on recent events Whether
n or out of the Government service.
propose TO stay In the fight for
conesrvatfon and equal opportunity.
Every movement and measure from
whatever source. that tends to ad-
vance conservation and promote gov
srnment by mey for human welfare
shall try to help. Every movement
and measure. from whatever source'
that hinders conservation and prom
iees government by money for profit
\ I shall sndeavor to oppose. The su-
premt test OF movements and meas
ures - the welfare OF the plain peo-
pie. am as ready to support tho
Administration when II moves tow
ard this paramount end as / am to
oppoee Il when II moves away"
~. 'Pinchot expressed his profound
roGre< At leaving the forest service
ahd pays tribute to the faithfulness
an1 high quality Of service rendered
|, ~ the men with whom ne worked.
Out Of the work Of the forest service,
he proceeds. grew the conservation
nnovemtnt.
4 To-day that movement expresses
one Of our deepest national convic-
ttons." no says. "and the principles
+ for which Il stands are received as
axiomatic. II Ia only the execution
of them which remains In doubt
1lr. Pinchot then traced the recon-
u|ondations Of the conference on con-
oorvation at the White House In May
1904. the subsequent creation of the
national conservation commission.
which he says together with Presi-
Gout Roo~svelt's message TO Congress
on ~. onRjoct set forth a cornpre-
lo11sive. DEFINITE scheme for the COM
\ j>rvation of our natural resources
whieh ne appIauds and endorses. Then
hs proceeded: ~
4 AT this critical period. when the
goal was In sight. enemies of conser-
walton In Congress not only succeed
"a In preventing an appropriation
& with which to pursue the work but
attempted to forbid Its progress by
the Tawney amendment to the last
sundry civil bill. Thereupon the
work Of the national conservation
commission was stopped.
THE recommendation of the COM
mission still wait for action. All wise
men VIII agree that the situation Is
serioua The Tawney amendment
wes more than a mistake-it was a
deliberate betrayal of the future. The
I, dangers which confront the conser-
vation movement today must be met
BY positive action In Congress. No
action will be equivalent to bad ac-
. tion and Will have the. same results.
Unless Congress acts the water
powers will pass into the hands Of
special interests without charge and
without limit OF time. So with the
phosphate deposits on public lands.
when the Withdrawals which now
protect them are removed. So with
the enormously valuable coal deposits
In Alaska, which the present law
would sell for $40 per acre.
Tho danger of bad legislation Is
no less serious. The special interests
must no longer be allowed to take
what they choose out Of the great
property OF all the people. Those
who steal public lands steal homes
from men and women who need
them. Congress can stop the pillage.
or Congress can let II 60 on.
TN the absence of proper action
two great conservation plans for the
public welfare may fail. The first is
the control OF water powers on navi-
gable streams In the public interest.
The second Is the construction of the
deeper waterways from the Great
Lakes TO the Gulf.
"The unanimous opinion of the
Mississippi Valley recognizes this wa