The Morning examiner. [volume] (Ogden, Utah) 1904-1910, 1910-04-03
LAW TANG[E
Disturbing
Committees Wrecked and Both
House and Senate Confused
by Measures.
LEGISLATORS AWAKE
TO SAD SITUATION
Suddenly Reused from Indifference
Discovery ls Made That Bills
Provide Enigma.

WASHINGTON, April 2.-Membcrs
Of the house and senate are strug-
Cling with the question OF framing
laws to further conservation. Both
houses OF congress have oecu so oc-
cupied that little attention has been
pald TO the subject until the last two
or three days. Since Friday, however,
efforts have been made TO get somo
of the administration measures deal
ing with conservation into shape for
presentation. The public lands CON-
nittee OF the house has gone to pieces
on the proposed law to authorize the
President TO make Withdrawals and
classification OF public lands, and tho
members are now divided into several
groups. each pulling in a different di-
rection
Tho chief questions with which tho
legislators have TO deal In connection
With conservation are embodied In
bills on tho following subjects:
Withdrawals and classification of
public lands.
Conservation OF coal lands
Conservation OF water power.
Conservation OF oil lands
Conservation of phosphate lands.
The first four VIII receive serious
and earnest consideration.
Bills VIII Be Lost.
The bills on the last named ono arc
likely to DC loet IN the general fight
on the others. There are any num-
Der of bills pending in congress upon
all these subjects, and how best to
harmonize them is the question.
President TAFT will be Grawn into
the fight. and today he informed somo
mombers of the committee he desired
to talk with them next week in the
interest OF harmony
Republicans Divided.
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 a doubt of legality, or TO
leave that to future determination
by the courts
Representatives Pickett or Iowa
Parsons of New York ana Gronna or
North Dakota, all Republicans. are
standing firm for valuation OF past
Withdrawals Chairman Moudell and
Representative Smith of California,
Representative Morgan of Oklanoml
and Pray OF Montana are opposing
this validation. Their objection. they
say is that thousands OF people havo
taken mp coal and oil lands and ex-
pended large SUMS in developing them
In the belief that the government
Withdrawals were illegal. Unless
these claimants are cared for they
will oppose 4 validatIon
Democratic members say Republl-
can members who want to qualify the
Yalidation arc not for real couserva-
ton at all. but are merely aiming at
a "whltewashing' of the adminIstra-
lion on this question They have Iu-
troducod bill of their own on tno
subject.
Senator Smoot last night called
meeting TO discuss the question OF oil
lands. II was attended by Senators
Smoot of Utah. Clark or Wyoming.
hughes of Colorado, Chamberlain or
Oregon Dixon of Montana. Secretary
Ballinger. Representative Smith OF
California and one or two others. The
meeting resulted in no definite agree
ment
Details of bill to provide boring
for oil on public lands was fully dis
cusscd disclosing widely divergent
views. Length of lease payments.
manner OF securing permits. all proved
subjects of disagreement.