Bonners Ferry herald. [volume] (Bonners Ferry, Idaho) 1904-current, 1910-02-05
BALLINGER SPEAKS
EXPRESSES HIS VIEWS BE-
FORE R. |. CLUBS.
Secretary Believes Real Conservation Of
Resources Is a Good Thing-Says
Natural Resources Should Not Be
Bottled Up-Opposes Some Extreme
Notions of Others.

Providence, r. l., Jan. 30.-Secretary
Ballinger, speaking last night before
the Conservation Club of Rhode Island
and the Economic Club of Providence,
which met together to hear him, gave
his views on conservation of national
resources and declared that conserving
them does not mean bottling them up.
Some people, fear" declared Mr..
Ballinger, "have a notion that to con-
serve our natural resources we must
pickle them or bottle them up. All
kinds of extreme notions are likely to
be advanced by those who take an inn
practical view Of the subject. 1 was
confronted recently by the suggestion
that the government build homes on
the remaining public lands, stock them
and rent them to applicants and become
the landlord of the public domain.
1T is all right to place reasonable
restraint upon the use of our natural
resources. to prevent the mischiefs
which result from monopoly and greed
and extortion, but when you attempt
to regulate a mans private business or
declare how he shall use his property,
so that he can no longer exercise q
reasonable independence over it, he
may as well surrender his business and
his property to the state and let the
state operate it.
Individuality and incentive for in
dustry will certainly disappear under
any system of public regulation and
control that imposes a strictly govern
mental guardianship over the citizen.
The American system of government
contemplates the freest possible exr-
else of individual liberty consistent
with the public good, and in discussing
the conservation of our natural re-
sources and the supervision, regulation
contemplates the freest possible exer-
cised by federal or state authority this
principle should be constantly recog-
nized.
"After all, the question of conserva
ton is a question of practicing with
our resources frugality and economy.
ProAigacy and wanton waste of our
inheritance in this particular, of course,
is to be restrained whenever and wher-
ever the power exists and particularly
when the loss affects the future happi-
ness of mankind.
''Our nation S future in the highest
degree is involved in the perpetuation
of our wealth and the ability of our
people to live in happiness and pros
perity in all generations to come
Therefore we can justly say that nc
man. can crafty his lust for wealth
or his ambition for power by destroy
ing the opportunities of others to live
and enjoy their share of the bounties
of nature"
Should Be Developed.
Water power resources should be
developed under government control
Mr.. Ballinger insisted, to save the coal
and the forests from being consumed
for fuel. Mr.. Ballinger declared that
such development should be through
private enterprise, under government
gress should give to the executive
branch of the government authority tt
obtain both results.
''In view of the national interest il
these resources concluded the secre
tary, cit is incumbent upon congress
to give to the executive branch of thu
government such power and authority
to protect against the continued waste
and destruction of the public domain
And it is the earnest determination O
this administration that it may b.
clothed with sufficient authority anC
equipped with the necessary machin
cry to accomplish all that is possible
through federal agencies in this par
ticular."