The free lance. (Fredericksburg, Va.) 1885-1926, 1910-09-08
PLEA FOR FEDERAL CONTROL
Mr.. Roosevelt Declares For Govern
ment Control Water Power Sites.
Wants Waterways Speed
lily Developed.

President TAFT. TINS causeu eh'huSf
astic demonstrations of approval
The former president occupied the
center of the stage. just as his success
sor in the White House did. and again
the great auditorium with its seating
capacity of 10000 was filled TO the
doors with a mass of people eager to
hear Mr.. Taft
The reception of the former presi'
dent was enthusiastic, and frequently
his address was interrupted by the
widest OF applause Especially inter
ested we're the colonels auditors in
finding out whether he would refer to
President Taft and whether he would
take issue with Mr.. Tafts ideas OF
conservation.
When he did refer to Mr.. Taft and
the reference was a compliment. dele
gates and the thousands in the CALLER
les cheered. The reference was an in
terpolation in the former presidents
set speech. II was:
Much that | have TO say on the
subject Of conservation will be but a
repetition of what was so admirably
said from this platform Monday
Again he said:
"All friends OF conservation should
be in heartiest agreement with the
policy which the president laid down
in connection with the coal, oil and
phosphate lands, and | am glad 70 be
able to say that at its last session con
gress finally completed the work OF
separating the surface title to the land
from the mineral beneath It..
Strong For National Control.
The question of federal or state con
troll OF water power sites is the one
before the congress that has given
rise to the most luminosity. The presi-
dent avoided committing himself on
this point. leaving it for congress to
decide The colonel declared himself
vigorously for federal control. In this
connection he said:
There is apparent to the judiciouS
observer distinct tendency on the
part of our opponents to cloud the is
sue by raising the question Of state as
against federal jurisdiction. We are
ready to meet that issue If 1t Is forced
upon us. But there is no hope for the
plain people in such conflicts Of juris
dictions.
The essential question is not one
OF hair-splitting legal technicalities. 1t
is simply this: Who can best regulate
the special interests for the public
good? Most of the predatory corpora
tions are Interstate Of have interstate
affiliations Therefore they are largely
out of reach in effective state control.
and fall OF necessity within the federal
jurisdiction. The most effective wea-
pom against these great corporations.
most Of which are financed and owned
on the Atlantic coast, will be federal
laws and the federal executive. That
Is why | so strongly oppose the de-
mand to turn these matters over to the
states"
In a number of other parts Of his
speech Colonel Roosevelt showed that
his attitude was for strong national
control. He made strong plea for the
development and regulation OF all the
waterways and urged specifically that
these be guarded from the Interests
and that the railroads be prevented
from controlling them in the future as
they have in the past.
Here the president injected extern
poraneously: There are classes OF
bulk freight which can always go
cheaper and better by water If there
Is an adequate waterway, and the ex-
istence of such type of waterway In
itself helps to regulate railroad rates. y
He declared that any railroad con-
nection with water lines should be I'M
der the "strictest regulation Of the in
terstate commerce commission. He
also asserted that the necessity OF
federal control of the forests had been
proved and urged the formation Of a
federal bureau of health. declaring the
financial waste to the nation In sick
ness and preventable deaths to be ap-
palllng.
Raps Congressman Tawney.
The former president took little
shot at Congressman James A. Taw-
ney, Of Minnesota. It was ostensibly to
combat the denomination of Mr.. Taw-
ney that Clifford Pinchot absented him.
self Monday when President Taft was
here.
When Colonel Roosevelt came to
that part Of his speech referring to the
national conservation commission. he
told of the introduction into the house
of representatives by a congressman
from Minnesota of an amendment to
the civil service bill. which, he said,
was designed to put an end to the
work of the commission. His recital
threw the crowd into an uproar A man
in the balcony shouted: Now what do
you think of Tawney?"
The colonel went on to say that the
subject came up just at the close of his
term in the White House. II he had re-
manned president, he said, he would
have paid no attention to this provis-
ion of law. because he believed 1t to
be unconstitutional This declaration
was applauded loudly.
Nearly 100000 Greet 7. r.
The conservation congress, while 1t
was a big affair, didn't compare with
the tremendous crowd that Mr..
Roosevelt faced at the Minnesota state
fair grounds. A gathering estimated at
between $4,000 and 100000 persons
damned themselves into the enclosure
and most of them heard the colonel
make long speech. The management
declared that Roosevelt drew the larg.
est crowd of persons that ever this
state heard Of
In tho hofa1 Iohhfoo opd nm tho