The Calumet news. [volume] (Calumet, Mich.) 1907-1938, 1910-06-20
Senator Borah Of Idaho Speaks
in Senate Today as Champ
ion OF the West
FOR PRACTICAL CONSERVATION
Resources Should Not Lie Idle, Inn
prisoned and Unusable, He Declares
West is Willing to Formu-
late Regulations.

Washington, June 90. What we
want is a sane, practical conservation
policy, under reasonable regulation,
permitting the development of our nat
ural resources in accordance with the
natural laws of progress and indus
trial growth" declared Senator Borah
i'm addressing the senate today during
consideration of conservation legisla-
tion.
Mr. Borah spoke as the champion
of the west. 1T would be magnif-
cent scheme, indeed" he exclaimed,
ito compel the whole great west to
hold its vast resources in idleness, de-
prive it's people of their enjoyment and
use and compel them to pay tribute to
those resources of which you have TAX
en- possession here in the east and de-
veloped at your own free will"
Contending that 1t was violation
of every principle of the constitution
to withhold power sites from the use
of the western states, Mr.. Borah in
auired: IF Illinois or Massachusetts
receives thousands or even millions of
dollars as a revenue for their water
power and Idaho receives nothing, but,
on the other hand, pays millions into
the federal treasury, is there equality
among the states?" He said that the
contention that natural resources in
state belonged to all the people of the
United States was all right in theory
but that in practice ii was utterly un-
true
our power sites do not i'm any sense
of the term belong TO the people OF
New England or New York" continued
the senator "They are to be utilized
by those who make themselves citizens
of the state and join with others in
trying to build up commonwealth
He argued that II never had been the
theory of the government that these
resources should be utilized as rev.
enue producing proposition but that
thev were for the benefit of all the
people. But" he said ''the people
must come with the state in order
to avail themselves of the use and ben
eft"
Mr.. Borah said congress could not
promote conservation by treating pow
er sites. which to utilize was to con-
serve, as IL did coal beds winch to
utilize was to consume. AS to unde-
veloped natural resources he said tha'
after congress had adopted laws 10
prevent waste. extravaganza and mo-
nopolv so as TO insure their economic
and bona fde use by the people, IL
was about as far as the United States
government could go. He added tha'
as to timber there always should p'
the announcement and aid of reforest-
alton as that was something that could
be reproduced.
Every water power site unuseu
locked up in idleness anf inactivity
when there are communitic' To serve
is a subtraction from the SIN or hu
man happiness and prosperity he con
tinued. every piece of land Whlc'
will produce the necessaries of life ded
icated by law to non-use. incorporated
in n reserve and denied to settlement
is an extra burden upon every maj
who buys the necessaries of life. Ever!
year i'm which thousands of feet OF III
pened lumber are permitted to rot am
fall I'm the reserves you are steaiih'
something from the human race Una
belongs to 1t, and every year that 'h
great coal beds of the Pacific slope q
undeveloped II costs this government
90 oann
to the Pacific. burdens every citize'
i'm that part of the country with exor
bitant freight charges, and puts eN'i
millions into the hands or easter
coal companies who delighted 10 sc
this go on"
Economic use and deVelop'nen
should be the basic and fundameht'
principle of any conservation polic
agreed upon or Incorporated INTO iaV
said Senator Borah.
These resources are not to lie iu'
imprisoned and unusable," he argue
'If you join with us in that propos
tion. we will gladly join you In form'
lating a policy of regulation ana col
trol which will avoid waste. extraV'
gance and monopoly as far as poss
BILE. But Upon a policy of non-use'
strangulation of the great west
stop ht the first call for legislation
Senator Borah declared that al
legislation upon the subject of conser
alton must be upon the basis III
western citizenship was honest INV
abiding and intelligent; that weste
people appreciated the value OF th'
resources and proposed to prote
them: and that they were loyal to th'
states and to the nation as a whole.
THE conservation policy VIM
teaches the farmer the science of far'
Ing. how to vary his crops, pro''