Evening bulletin. [volume] (Honolulu [Oahu, Hawaii]) 1895-1912, 1910-01-22

against the Mann conservation bill
ANA the pmchot idea of conservation
OF national resources, Representative
$. G. Smith tRcpuh,icun. California;.
today urged upon the house OF repre-.
sentauycs the passage Of his bill turn,
ing over TO the States all rights and
easements for the development of wa.
ter power sites so as to let The states
work out the conservation problem for
themselves.
Smith reviewed the conservation
fight and described water rights AMI
State laws that regulate them.
Il want to make it perfectly clear"
he said, that congress has nothing
whatever TO do with the disposal OF
water rights. Some eastern publlcl.
lions frequently refer to the nations
valuable water rights. but literally It
has none. When the national govern.
ment wants to appropriate water for
the irrigation OF It's own land 1t must
proceed according to the State laws
where the water and land are stu.
atCd
Two Views.
Those who claim TO be orthodox
cOnservationalists assert that ease.
ments for the development of water
power represent national assets and
should be sold for price. Others take
the opposite view and with them
concur. In the century and n quarter
of this nations existence II has never
treated national opportunities as stock
In trade and it would be manifestly
unfair TO change that policy Us to a
lew features now remaining I'm one
Part Of the country. But there Il n
better reason than that-a funda.
mental one. The United States of
America Is not in business looking for
dividends and profits It 10 a govern.
ment pure and simple. II has all
along invited the individual to take
hold OF gifts of nature and convert
them to the uses and enjoyment of
his fellow men, taking the increment
10 himself. That is stlll the safe and
sound rule.
Idea lndefensibe.
AS a matter Of taxation, the idea Is
equally indefensible. First, because II
would be an invasion Of the States
legitimate field Of taxation and second
because OF the gross inequality of such
a tax"
smith argued that the proposed bill
Us not permitted under the constltu.
ZION because IL would amount TO fed
eral regulation of corporations oper
atlng wholly within State boundaries.
But some are contending that such
a power may be created in tho ma.
tional government by the contrac,
granting the easement"
He added:
Smiths Claims.
THAT is to say, We will give YOU
me right TO cross the public domain
III you viii agree 10 charge consumers
only such rates as some federal Off
Gals shall names A more extraordin.
AIRY proposition has seldom been pre.
scented nor one more offensive to the
sovereign States.
III means that the people, acting
through their State and local govern.
ments, cannot be trusted to care for
themselves; the protecting wing of
some federal official must be spread
over them. Who has a right to saw
that the people are not to be trusted
in their local governments? or thai
the State should abdicate their prcrog.
atiVes In favor Of some bureau chief
here at Washington?
THE suggestion is offensive II in.
diets the integrity and sanity OF the
people in their local affalrs-tbe same
people, by the way, which springs this
much-vaunted federal authority
~ would be easier and cheaper.
smith declared, for corporation, If II
uesired TO purchase the influence of
one federal official than large mum.
Der OF state and local officials scat.
Tered throughout the States.
State Rights.
The States having the initial fac.
tor, the water right. TO bestow ana no.
ing burdened with every duty in con.
hection with the construction and on.
GRAFTON OF the plant he concluded "It
mas seemed to me that tho wise Thing
10 DO was to turn over to the several
states In trust for the people tho ease.
nents In question and give them a
nee hand in wo'flng out the whole
question A bill to that effect has
oeen widely discussed in the western
press during the past few month"; ana
mas The general ondorsemcs,t evcort
among those who say the people M
nome cannot be trusted.
whether this easement be granted
TO the power companies by the federal
government. or passed through lbe
hands OF the States II should he
tfan'ed IN r7st for The people and
the public's contribution to the en,er.