New-York tribune., 1910-09-08
They can't hurt anybody hv such =
meeting Let en- have it

They can't hurt anybody hv such :
meeting Let en- have it
Hill on Practical Conser~a.'cn.
The subject Of Mr. Hilps speech w
Practical Conservation" He took issue
sauareIy with Mr.. Roosevelt on the ques-
tion OF entrusting the work to the federal
government
He cited the haCkwardness OF recis ma
| ton by irrigation to show that the federal
government was slow with great pro jects
I nd that government work twice as
costly As that done by private enterprise
| AEr Hin asserted that attempted federal
I control of water powers was Illegal, because
the use Of water within a state was the
property OF the state and could not be
taken from II. He also maintained that
resources were not or1y best administered.
but best protected from msrauders by the
home people He added.
Referring to government reclamation Of
arid lands by irrigation, the speaker said;
So slow is It that settlers are waiting in
distress for water promised long ago. So
faulty has been the adjustment of time and
money that Congress has had 70 authorize
the issue Of 800 el0 coo of national obligations
to complete projects still hanging in the
air
So expensive is it that estimates have
been exceeded again and again The set
tier has had either to pay more than the
cost figure he relied on or seek cheaper
land in Canada.
II costs the government from 50 per cent
more to twice as much 6 it would private
enterprise to put water on the land
Mr Hill said little can be done by federal
action toward the preservation Of our min
eraI resources. adding:
iC 1atc nat h "a NINA
owner, bur by the consumer The with
draWal of vast areas of supposed coal lands
tends 70 increase price by restricting the
area Of possible supply
It is foolish to talk of leasing coal lands
in small quantities in order to prevent
2 large enough scale to be commercially
The peorle ~ the West see little practical
difference between q. resource withheld en-
tireIy from use and resource dissipated or
exhausted. They understand by conserva- :
tiOn the most economical development and
best care of resources.
West Enters Protest
Against eon7e forest theories. Mr. Hill de-
clared the West entered a strong protest
He said:
The West believes in forest preservation.
but It believes practically and not theo-
reticalIv.
II realizes that a good thing may cost TOO
much. and Is not ignorant of the extravs,
giant financial tendency OF every feder2i
department and bureau
II wants all good agricultural land open
TO the settler, wherever II may be situated
Il wants timber resources conserVa lively
utilized and not wasted or destroyed.
In connection with forestry interests
there is Just now much question of the
demand is that federal lands forming such
sites should be withdrawn and leased for
the profit and at the pleasure Of the fed
Against this the whole West rightly pro
tests. The water power differs from the
coal deposit in that II is not destroyed by
use It will dc its undinlintshed work as
long IS the rains fail and the SHOWS melt
Not the resource but the use Of II ts q
proper Eubject for conservation and regu-
lation. To withdraw these sources Of 20
teutiaI wealth from present utilization is
to take Just SO much from the industrial
capital OF the states IN which they are
situated
The attempted federal control of water
powers is Illegal, because the use of the
the state and cannot be taken from IT.
Ought the public domain be administered
by the government and disposed of for its
profit or opened to the people and shared
with the states? Let experience determine
which was the better guardian.
The worst scandals Of state land n7izap
prOpria ZION. and there were many are in
significant when compared with the record
of the nation.
Th. Preservation OF .re Soil.
tHEF1 tSHlAlliS III opportunity ana =
need Of conservation transcendtng in value
all others combined" " said Mr. Hill He
continued
The soil Is the ultimate employer Of all
industry and the greatest source Of all
wealth. It is the universal banker
Upon the maintenance unirnpaired in
quantity and quality Of the tilable area Of
the country it's whole future is conditioned
He presented 3 table of figures showing
constant and enormous decline from 9oe
to 1910 of our exports of breadstuffg. meat
and dairy products and cattle. sheep and
hogs. and drew this conclusion.
continuance of similar conditions, and
nc change IN sight. must mean partial
food famine and hardship prices in the
abroad which having no foodstuffs 10
spare, We must pay in cash, and financial
cause We have drawn too unv-iseIy upon
the soil
This impending misfortune only the
conservation Of a neglected soil and ali
the interests connected with II can avert.
Mr. Hill declared thai any survey of
practical conservation would be imperfect
If II omitted the almost desperate neces-
sity at this time of conserving capital snd
credit
Public economy. he said was virtue
either lost or despised and extravagsnce
is undermining the industry Of this coun-
try.
He closed by saving that conservation
vas wholly an economic not In any eense
political. principle. and that experience
proved that resources were not only best
administered but hest protected from ma
rauder by the home people
Senator 8everidee Speaks
Senator Beveridge said in part
II has come into that peril which no great
trust esCapes-the danger that turks in the
house of its friends.
II has been used to forward that serious
error OF policy. the extension of the powers
and activities of the national government
at the expense of those of the states
The time is ripe. and this occasion is
most fitting for distinguishing between real
and fanciful conservation and for esta D.
fishing sound relation Of means TO ends
Cooperation of municipality. state and
nation 70 correct past mistakes and pre-
serve and administer for the general good
Of 2 II the people the natural resources vet
remaining this is the policy Of common
sense and common honesty Strife and di-
vision TO the end that the reign of waste
and ptllage under the falseness of devel-
opnent shall 20 on and the feverish Up
building of private wealth upon the ruins
Of the peoples resources shall continue
this is the policy of private avarice and
powers and phOsphates-all the wealth that
belongs to all the peop1e-nnust be kept and
developed for the benefit Of all the people.
This great policy for the welfare Of all
the people Is now well under wav. Let
US beware how we hinder or retard il II