Los Angeles herald., 1910-09-18

J. T. Callbreath, jr., secretary of the
American Mining congress, who ar
rived in Los Angeles from Denver yes
terday for the purpose of attending the
annual session of the congress in an
interview with The Herald placed in
the right light many points concerning
conservation which have been ap-
parently misunderstood by the mining
men and especially oil men Of Cali
fornia. The oil men have been loath
to commit themselves, except to oppose
the workings of the American Mining
congress on the ground that the con-
gress as a body was favoring and fos-
tering conservation.
This idea was born of the personal
opinions of men connected with the
congress and not from any sentiment
advanced by the congress as a body.
In Los Angeles today the mining mems
organization, the Sierra Madre club, is
greatly divided over the problem of
conservation as explained at the ST.
Paul convention, and it IS learned
upon the best authority that nine out
of ten Of the members of this club are
opposed to conservation as outlined
at st. Paul.
The western people as a class, and
especially the mining men favoring
conservation with something different
from that espoused by the fire-eaters
at ST. Paul. They are willing to help
along the case if it is TO eliminate
waste, but not if it is to curtail pro-
duction.
CLEAR IN HIS VIEWS
Mr Callbreath was very clear in his
views on the matter and said that the
American Mining congress was to con-
vene here for the purpose of finding
out just what the mining men (and oil
mem of the west wished in the way of
legislation and that the program would
comprise only the names of those who
were to lead the arguments and that
any delegate would be entitled to the
floor to express his views, and that the
opinion of all would be weighed and
the findings used in advancing legisla-
tion at Washington beneficial to the
western mining interests.
From what could be gathered from
Mr.. Callbreath's remarks, he is a state
control man and therefore does not be-
lieve in conservation by the govern
ment of western resources for the ben
fit of all states, including those Of
the east which have exhausted their
natural resources.
Mr. Callbreath, who attended the
conservation convention at ST Paul
about ten days ago, had opportunity to
Judge conservation at close range, and |
he came back to the west as a western
man; completely disguised with the
way the subject of conservation was
treated by the easterners, who evil |
dently misunderstood the entire sub
1ect and presume to browbeat the west !
into their way of thinking.
OBJECTS TO RIPARIAN. RIGHTS
one of the most absurd talks upon
conservation was that comprised in the |
riparian rights. And the general dis |
cussion upon natural resources was |
completely out of conformity with just |
and equitable reasoning as applied to |
these resources in the west. The east |
has become presumptuOus in its CON |
servation of western land, and seeks |
to deprive the west Of that which bv |
right of locality belongs to it. The east |
has long since exhausted its natural |
resources, and would now hog or con-
serve the western resources for the |
alleged benefit of posterity, but i'm
reality for the big interests, including
the Southern Pacific, Standard oil and |
other Wall sereet concerns. When one
speaks of the east wishing conserva-
tton one errs to a certain degree
for the people of the east probably
know less Of conservation than Presi-
dent Taft. But the east in this re-
spect means simply the big interests
centered in Wall street, who being
highly in faVar Of conservation. buy
eastern newspapers and politicians to
spout their cause. Conservation as
applied to metals and oil at least. IS
purely local question, and that local
ity is Wall street They want it, but
the west does not.
Mr.. Callbrcath. who Is in every sense