The Leavenworth echo. [volume] (Leavenworth, Wash.) 1904-current, 1910-03-25
The Western Conservation League

This paper recently received circr-
lar letter from the Western Conserva-
ton League, accompanied by set Of
resolutions recently passed by the
league, the headquarters of which seem
to be located in Spokane, tho the cir
cular does not SO state.
The object Of the league, as dis
closed by the resolutions passed on the
18th Of January, at Spokane, is to COM
bat what has come to be known as the
Roosevelt conservation theory. The
league favors state control of water
power and stand-pat policy in regard
to coal and other public lands. Now
this paper views with grave doubts the
proposition to put the states in control
of the water power sites of the country.
Many streams have their source in one
state and flow thru one or more states,
and as the state laws in relation to
water power may differ as widely as the
laws of the different states differ as to
divorce-indeed, are almost sure to-
there will be room for endless trouble
and litigation. There will be the
question to settle, which is the higher
or preference right, the use for power
or for irrigation1"e Again: Shall the
state where the stream has its source
have any control over the waters of
river after it leaves the state7 Or,
shall state have any control over the
waters of a river before it enters the
state7 There are some common law
decisions that bear on this question, if
our memory is not at fault, but not
with reference to the uses Of water for
irrigation. And undoubtedly its use
for purposes of irrigation are its highest
and should be its controlling use. The
state having located in its borders
power sites with but little irrigable
land will make laws favoring the devel-
oping of power, whereas the state
where the conditions are reversed will
make laws favoring irrigation.
We cannot escape the conclusion
that a uniform federal law governing
and defining the uses Of water for power
and irrigation will be more stable and
satisfactory as time runs on.
The devotion of the Western Con-
servation League to the present land
laws and its opposition to such a
change as will put an end to public
land grating will find favor with but
few people. The league is in favor of
letting anyone who can get the coal
lands in any way they can be gotten,
generously admitting that it would be
best not to allow more than 5000 acres
OF coal lands to be owned by one COM
pany.
The fact cannot be denied that un-
der the present laws the coal, oil and
other mineral lands have always found
their way into the hands Of large cor
porations. This is true almost without
exception.
The general public has gotten no
benefits from rich mineral finds in the
past. Why should not the whole peo-
pie benefit by what is under the sur
face OF the earth just as the law pro-
vides they shall benefit by what is
found on the surface7 II you find a
purse on the street with one thousand
dollars in it, and no owner can be
found for it, the law provides that it
shall be turned over to the state for the
benefit OF all the people. Can you
think OF any reason why the same rule
of law should not apply to what is found
Just beneath the surface7 Then there
is the still better reason why coal and
other valuable minerals should be gov
erned by this equitable law. If poor
man discovers a rich vein of coal or
mineral its development hinges on the
money of the already wealthy for de-
velopment and finally falls into the
hands of some corporation. The great
est mine in the world was sold for few
paltry hundred dollars because the dis