The Yakima herald. [volume] (North Yakima, W.T. [Wash.]) 1889-1914, 1910-02-09
Members Are Foremost
IN Stand Against Conservation
Program Of the President -
Measures Are IN PERL.

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WASHINGTON. D.. G., Feb. Y e.
A deep seated revolt has appeared in
congress against the conservation pro-
gram of President Taft.
The insurrection exists less among
recognized insurgents OF the two
houses than among members who
have gl6rfed in their support Of
stand pat principles. AS a result, the
conservation bills are in a precar:ous
situation. Those that do not run the
gauntlet of the national congress will
arrive at the White house in such
mutilated condition that the presi-
dent will have to examine them with
the utmost care in order to assure
himself that they really were the
children he fathered.
Poor Outlook for Measures.
The senate committee probably will
report all the bills, greatly changed,
however, from the original form in
which thsy were presented by the
president. The house committee is
not even cor sidering the Taft pro-
gram. If it were possible to force
the committee to a vote it is ques-
ton whether a single member would
accept any Of the presidential meas
ures in their present shape.
The senate committee IL assuring
the president that it will do all it can
to meet his wishes. The house COM
mittee Is making no promises.
The way in which the house COM
nittee has treated the president is
discourteous. to say the least. Frank
". eDi"ndell OF Wyoming, chairman If
tho committee. declined his support
even to the extent Of introducing the
hills in the house. volstead of Min
nesota. Smith of California, Gronna
Of North Dakota, Parsons Of New
York. and the eight other republican
members Of the committee. sidestep-
ped the honor the president sought
TO thrust upon them.
Committee Members Balky.
Nondell was willing to introduce
the bills by request. This was de-
alned. The other mem bers were dis
posed to Introduce one or two Of the
I've administration bills, but refused
70 take the same action with refer
snce to the remainder. This also was
unsatisfactory to the White house.
The result is that the house of rep
resentatives. three weeks after the
president transmitted his conserva-
ton message, Is still in ignorance Of
the details of the measures he an
nounced he had prepared to submit
for congressional consideration
In view of the attitude of the house
committee, there is no regular chan
mel through which the house may
receive the measures the president
advocates until 1t gets them in the
amended form in which they will pass
the senate. In the meantime, conser-
walton, SO far as The house IL con-
cerned, will remain in the background
while the investigation to defend the
tariff and incidentally to determine
the high cost Of living, occupies the
center of the stage.
The storm center of conservation
for weeks to- come probably will be
the senate committee on pubic iands.
Thirteen of the fifteen members are
western men to the constituents Of
most Of whom conservation is a vital
principle.
These men must be shown that the
measures the committee reports are
of real value, not so much to the en-
!, states. To obtain any results at all,
they must be led gently.
Nelson Is Kept Busy.
Realizing the situation, Senator
Nelson, when he is not investigating
tie Ballinger-Pinchot controversy, is
laboring with his colleagues to OBJ
tain the kind of action he deems es-
sential to the welfare of the republic.
The easiest of the propositions the
committee has to consider is that au-
thotizing the president to make the
Withdrawals of public lands.
The Minnesota chairman did not
treat this as new subject. He wrote
legal brief to demonstrate that the
president already has power to make
Withdrawals. He gave a copy of his
brief to each member of the commit
tee. The majority concurred that the
legal conclusions were accurate. This
was a real victory. 1t was a logical
step then for the committee to draft
a short bill describing the legal situa-
ton as 1t exists. The only difference
between this measure and the old
law Is that 1t instructs the secretary
of the interior to report to congress
what Withdrawals have been made.
While this bill was the simplest of
all the conservation measures, dis
position exists in the committee to re-
gard it as fair test Of the COM
mittee's position.