Evening times-Republican. [volume] (Marshalltown, Iowa) 1890-1923, 1910-03-16
INSURGENCY A MIRAGE.
THINKS BALL|N([R
SECRETARY OF INTERIOR
TIES WESTERN sENTlMl (
-
AT ST. PAUL. 5.
CLAIMS TO BE A REAL
CONSERVATION ADV
Denies That Natural Resaur. Are
Being Used Without Consideration of
Future-Urses That States and Not
the National Government Should
Control Conservation.

|
| ST. Paul, Mimi, March 16.-Accord-
ing to Secretary of the Interior Bal
| linger, who is in ST. Paul today to ad-
dress the Minnesota conservation con-
vention, the insurgent movement IS
something like a fantasy, also mir
age, and the Ba1Iinger- Pinchot hearing
in Washington is of less Importance in
| the east than the west
Speaking of the investigation of the
! CLAWS charge now going on in WASH
ington. Ballinger said:
so far nothing has been brought to
! light but suspicious, inuendoes and
| intimations. These / shall be able to
dissipate as soon as my evidence is
| in."
The principal address of the day
was by Secretary of the Interior Bal
| linger.
st. Paul. March 16.--As ardent an
! advocate of wise conservation as the
most radical. was the way in which
| Secretary Ballnger, of the interior de-
partment, in a speech today before the
| state conservation convention, ex-
! pressed his policy an regard to the pub
| lie land ueStion. But" he added "it
must be wise conservation to appeal to
me-
| Secretary Ballinger declared himself
out of sympathy with those radicals
who fear that all natural resources are
being used up without any considera-
tion for future generations.
"Our country" he said ''is the rich
est of all in natural resources. Its soil,
| its minerals, its coal! its iron, its gran
| ite, it's limestone. its water power and
| it's climate possess immeasurable
I wealth, and, if properly utilized con-
| tain sufficient resource to care for all
probable increase in the population OF
j our country in the years to come"
He said that while "the ,doctrainaires
/ figure that the coal deposits of the
| United States and Alaska will be ex-
| hausted in a period of about 100 years.
the fact is that, according to the pro-
! duction of coal in the United States at
the close of 1908, only 0.4 of 1 per cent
of the original supply of coal had been
|
| supply still available 99.6 per cent of
the original supply. or coal enough to
last as some claim for period of 1000
years"
Exaggerated Notions.
after long indifference on the part
| of the people as to the public domain.
! he declared, "a deep concern has sud-
! denly arisen respecting the remnant of
! the national estate, with a wholly eX-
| aggerated notion of what should be
! done with it by the government. There
is much talk about the conservation of
our national resources. and nebulous
theories that sound good to the ear. but
! are impossible of practical application
ito existing condition, are advanced. Be
tween the hysteria that exists on the
one side and the tendency to despoil
| the public domain on the other, we
will. it is hoped. be able to find the true
policy of the government"
! He expressed the opinion that "a
| greater obligation rests upon the states
/ than upon the general government to
! inaugnrate laws to prevent waste in
! the utilization Of national resources"
Divide Burden With States.
at seems to me-" he continued, that
we should not try to impose the whole
| burden of conservation on the general
government but leave it to the states
| and to the municipalities to work out
except insofar as national interference
! is necessary to protect national inter-
ests: and I want to be understood as
! opposed to the theory that, because the
| state has not exercised to the full Its
! powers in the matter of reforms, ipso
facto the national government must ex-
| ercise them"
The national government. he said
can not ENTER the state and dictate
the means or method of the develop
n1ent of its streams and rivers, except
insofar as their navigation Is concern
ed" Wise conservation, in his oDin-
ion. implied "as full and free a develop
| nlent of our natural resources as Is
consistent with our civilization and
| needs"
! Mr. Rallinger declared that the pres
ent laws and methods of disposal OF
/ deposits of coal, phosphates, oil and
| natural gas are utterly impractical
| either from the standpoint of the To-
| Gator or that of the government, and
| no ADEQUATE method exists" he added
| "for controlling or supervising hydro
electric power produced from power
plants Installed on government water
| power sites. No man or set of men can
| comply with the present law and fin
ance a coal mine on the public domain
on $40 acres of land except under ex-
tremely favorable conditions! The alb
surdity OF the law in itself invited fraud
and indirect methods of evading its
provisions 1t is hoped congress will
furnish the interior department with
the necessary machinery to guard safe
| ly and properly the public interests in
their ultimate disposition"