The Daily Missoulian. [volume] (Missoula, Mont.) 1904-1961, 1910-04-03
SENATE AND HOUSE MEMBERS
STRUGGLE OVER FRAMING
or PROPER LAWS.
REPUBLICANS ARE SPLIT
nitc Plan Of Action Seem Futile
Meeting 10 Held and Matters Are
Discussed, but Without a Policy of
Campaign Being Determined Upon.

Washington, April 2.-Mcmbcrs Of
The, house ana senate are struggling
with the question of framing laws to
further conservation. Both houses of
congress have been 40 occupied that
little attention has been paid to the
subject until the last two or three
days Since Friday. however. efforts
have been made to get some Of the
administration measures dealing with
conservation into shape for presenta-
ilon.
The public lands committee of the
house has gone to pieces on the pro-
posed law 10 authorize the president
To make Withdrawals and classifica-
lions OF public lands and the members
are now divided into several groups,
each pulling In "a different direction.
The chief questions with which the
legislators have to deal In connection
with conservation are embodied III
bills on the following subjects.
Withdrawal and classification es
public lands; conservation of coal
lands: conservation of water :Dwei
conservation of oil lands: ccnscrva-
ton of phosphate lands.
earnest consideration The bills on
>,ihe last named one are likely to he
lost in the general fight on the others.
There are any number of bills pend
ing In congress upon all these sub
jests and how best to harmonze them
and arrive al. some, mutual basis Is
the question. President Taft viii be
hra~n into the fight. and today he In
formed some members of the commits
sion he desired to talk with them
next week In the interest of harmony.
In the committee the republican
members are split up on the question
OF whether To validate all past with
drawals of public lands. about which
there Is doubt of legality. or To
leave that to future determination
by the courts. Representatives Pick
EFT of Iowa. Parsons of New York and
Gronna OF North Dakota. all repun-
lcans. are standing firm for valida-
tion of past Withdrawals. Oh. . man
Mondel and Representative Smith of
California, Representative Morgan Of
oklahoma and Pray of Montana are
opposing this valuation. The.r 90
lection. they say. Is that thousands
of people have taken up coal and oil
lands and expended large sumo in de-
veloping them In the belief that the
government Withdrawals we., ll.egel.
Unless these claimants are cared for
they viii oppose a valuation
Democratic members say republican
members who want To qualify the val
idation are not for real conservation
"a all bpt at ar =,
"whitewashing' of the administration
on this question They have intro
dueed a bill of their own on the sub
ject.
Calls Meeting.
senator Smoot last night called a
meling To discuss the question o. oil
lands II was attended by Senator'S
sn,oot. Clark Of Wyoming. Hug .es Of
Colorado, Chamberlain of Greg IN.
Dixon Of Montana. Secretary 3alil- 1
ger Representative Smith OF Callfor-
:. la and one or two others. The meet
/, Ing resulted In no definite agfcein
"Details of ~ to provide boring for
oil on public lands was fully dis
cussel' disclosing widely divers, ,nt 4
views. Lengths OF lease, payments.
manner of securing permits. all
proved subjects OF disagreement.
The question of water power on
public domain IL also full Of possible |
elements of dispute and II II sure IL
cause plenty of trouble. proposl-
tion to turn over to the states the
matter of regulation of granting
rigllts-of-way for power companies
operating on the public domain is said
10 be meeting with general favor. but
there Is still much opposition to the |
federal government relinquishlng any !
part of the control 1t may shaye over
power sites. !
Altogether, the conservation queA
tion Is said TO be rocky road for the |
/. Legislators to travel. There is great
misunderstanding OF conditions, 1t Is
said, ana few OF the members are fully |
acquainted with the vast details of
the subject. Eastern members are un-
familiar with conditions In the west |
and the representatives from the lat |
ter section encountered great diff |
Guilty In explaining the actual mean |
ing.of conservation as 1t relates to the
People. Nobody appears to be oppos-
Ing conservation, but the question Is
how 20 conserve.
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