The Washington times. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1902-1939, 1910-09-06

with the purpose Of putting a stop 20
/ the work so admirably begun Con
/ gresS passed the amendment
| The National Conservation Commits
| sion theTeupOn became dormant The
| suspension of its work came at a most
/ unfortunate time, and there was seri-
I Gus danger that the progress already
made would be lost
! At this critical moment the National
/ Conservation Association was organic
1 ed. It took I'D the work which other
wise would not have been done, and Il
/ exercised most useful influence in
preventing bad legislation IN securing
I the introduction OF better conservation
measures at the past session Of Con-
gress, 2nd in promoting the passage Of
I wise laws
II deserves the. confidence and SUP
/ port OF every citizen interested in the
wise development and preservation Of
our natural TesCa-ces, and IN prevent
( ing them from passing into the hands
| Of uncontrolled monopolies.
Pan-Ameriean Conservation.
When the Government Of the United
states -awoke TO the idea OF conserva-
| ton and saw II II it was good. il lost
no time in com nunicating the sdvan-
tages OF the new point OF view 20 its
/ immediate neigh5ors among the ma
tons a North american Conservation
-
and the cooperation OF Canada and
Mexico IN the great problem Of develop
ing the resources OF the continent for
the benefit OF its people was asked
and promised So II IS with the repu5-
lies Of Central and South America. OBJ
vlOuSly they are on the verge Of q
period OF great material progress. We
Of the United States are genuinely and
heartily pleased 10 see growth and pros
perity in Canada, in Mexico, in South
America
It is clear thai unless the governments
or our southern neighbors take steps
IN the near future by wise legislation 10
control the development and use OF their
natural resources, they Vii probably
and promoters, whose single purpose.
without regard 10 the permanent vel
fare OF the land in which they work.
VIII be TO make the most possible money
IN the shortest possible tine.
There viii be shameful waste. de-
structiVe loss. and ShOrt-Sighted disre-
gard OF the future. as we have learned
by bitter experience here at home
Unless the governments OF all the
american republics. including our o.
enact in time such laws as VIII both
protect their natural wealth and pro-
mote their legitimate and reasonable de
veiopmenJ, future generations viii owe
their nisfortuEss 20 Us OF today
A great patriotic duty calls upon US
We owe II 10 ourselves and 10 them 70
give the American republics ali the
help we can With prompt action and
sources for the people is full OF hope
for US all
State and Federal Control.
But while we OF the United States are
anxious, as I believe we are able. to be
Of assistance 10 others. there are prob
lens Of our own which we must not
overlook Oae Of the most important
conservation questions Of the moment
relates 10 the control OF xater-pOwer
monoDOly y the public interest.
Tore Is Spparent TO the Judicious OBJ
serN@- q district tendency on the parr|
Of or opponents to cloud the issue by
Federal Juris, LECTION We are ready 70
meet that issCe II II IS forced upon US
But there IS no hope for the plain people
IN such conflicts Of jurisdictions
The essential question is not one Of
hair-sphttins K gal technicalities. It is
simply this: " no can best regulate the
raising the question Of State as against
special interests for the public good2
In the great fight OF the people TO
drive the special interests from the
domination OF our Government the
nation Is stronger and its Jurisdiction
IS more effective than that Of any
State
That is why I so strongly oppose
the demand to turn these matters
over TO the States II is fundamental
" demand against the interest OF
small means. against the interest OF
our children and our chfldren's chill
dren: and II IS primarily in the in
terest Of the great corporations which
troll
The Conservation Fight.
There remains much to be cleared
up, and man misunderstanding 70
be removed These misunderstood
ings are due in part at least to direct
Misrepresentation by the men to
whose interest IT is that conservation
should not prosper
For example, we find It constantly
said by men who should know better.
that temporary Withdrawals. such as
the Withdrawals of coal lands, viii
permanently check development Yet
the fact is that these Withdrawals
have no purpose except to prevent the
coal lands from passing into private
ownership until Congress can pass
laws to open them to development IN
der conditions just alike 10 the public
and TO the men who. viii do the de-
veloping.
If there Is delay, the responsibility
for II rests. not on the men who made
the Withdrawals to protect the public
Congress from passing wise legisla-
ton, and so putting an end to the
need for withdrawals
Abuses committed in the name Of A
just cause are familiar to all Of US
Many Unwise things are done and many
unw1se measures are advocated in the
4AdlAlC VI NDASSINollBl eIlDeE LDTOuEn
ignorance, or by hose whose interest
lies not in promoting the movement, but
IN retarding It.
For example, to step water-power de-
velOpment by needless refusal to issue
permits for water power or private irri-
cation works on the public lands newt
ably leads many men, friendly 40 con-
servatiOn and believing in its general
principles, to assume that its practical
application is necessarily a check upon
progress. Nothing could be more mis-
taken
The .dea widely circulated Of late, that
conservation means locking up the
natural resources for the exclusive use
Of later generations, Is wholly mistaken.