The Birmingham age-herald., 1910-09-07

M1lwaukee, SeptemDer o.-OHiteu oe"'SS Senator Robert M. LaFollette has swept
 the state of Wisconsin in the primary election for renomination, defeating his opponent, Samuel w. Cook of Nenah, from three to five to one.
 Although early returns showed consid- erable strength for E. T. Fairchild, in the race for the republican nomination for governor, the later figures are showing large gains for F. E. McGovern. who won fame as the anti-graft district attor- ney of Milwaukee.
 There is now certainty that county op- tion has been defeated by a big majority, for both of the candidates who are now in the lead are opposed to county op- tion, though McGovern is the LaFollette supporter and Fairchield figures as sup porter of the Taft administration. w M Lewis, also a LaFolette sup porter. but an advocate of county op-
 
 and use, coupled with the preservation of our natural resources. by making | the most of what we have for the benefit of all of us, instead of leaving | the sources of material prosperity open to indiscriminate exploitation. These are some of the reasons why 1t Is wise
 that we should abandon the old point of view and why conservation has be- come a patriotic duty.
 Development Of Waterways "One of the greatest of our conser- vation problems is the wise and prompt development and use of the waterways | of this nation. The Twin Cities, lying | as they do at the headwaters of the .of tho of the proposed lakes to the gulf deep waterway. Yet they are deeply inter ested in it's prompt completion as well | as in the deepening and regulation of l the Mississippi to the mouth of the Missouri and to the gulf. The project | for a great trunk waterway, an arm | of the sea, extending from the Gulf Of
 Mexico to the Great Lakes, should not | be abandoned. The lakes to the gulf deep waterway and the development of | the rivers which flow into 1t should | be pushed to completion vigorously and without delay. But we must recognize l at the outset that there are certain conditions without which the people
 cannot hope to derive from 1t the ben | efits they have right to expect. | Tn nearly every river city from St. Paul to the gulf the water front is controlled by the railways. Nearly ev- cry artificial waterway in the United States, either directly or indirectly. Is
 under the same control. It goes with
 out saying that (unless the people pre- vent it in advance) the railways will attempt to take control of our water
 ways as fast as they are improved and
 completed; nor would blame them If
 we, the people, are supine in the mat
 ter. We must see to 1t that adequate terminals are provided in every city and town on every improved waterway, terminals open under reasonable con- ditions to the use of every citizen and rigidly protected against monopoly;
 and we must compel the railways te cooperate with the waterways contin-
 uously, effectively and under reason
 able conditions
 | Unless we do so the railways
 lines will refuse to deliver freight to
 the boat lines, either openly or by i'm
 posing prohibitory conditions and the
 waterways once improved will do com
 paratively little for the benefit of the people who pay the bill.
 Adequate terminals properly con- | trolled and open through lines by rail and boat are two absolutely essential | conditions to the usefulness of inland
 waterway development. I believe fur
 thermore that the railways should be | prohibited from owning, controlling or
 carrying any interest in the boat lines
 on our rivers, unless under the strict
 est regulation and control of the inter | state commerce commission so that the
 shippers interests may be fully pro- | tected.
 | Drainage
 "Where the states are unwilling or
 una ble to undertake 1t, the drainage of swamp and overflow lands by the fed eral government is wise and neces- | sary measure. Much of 1t must be done by the nation in any case, as an in
 tegral part of inland waterway devel-
 opment It affords a most promising | field for cooperation between the
 states and the nation.
 But while we of the United States are | anxious as l believe we are able to be of assistance to others, there are prob lens of our own which we must not over l look. One of the most important conserv-
 alton questions of the moment relates to the control of waterpower monopoly in the public interests. There Is apparent | to the judicious observer a distinct ten
 dency on the part of our opponents to cloud the issue by raising the question of
 state as against federal Jurisdiction. We | are ready to meet that issue If it Is | forced upon us. But there Is no hope for | the plain people in such conflicts of jur- isdictions. The essential question is not one of hair-splitting legal technicalities
 It Is simply this: Who can best regulate l the special interests for the public good? Most of the predatory corporations are