The Yakima herald. [volume] (North Yakima, W.T. [Wash.]) 1889-1914, 1910-09-21
Press Opinions
Soft Pedal Conservation.

Clifford Pinchot, in his recent
speech before the conservation con-
gress not only exposed the hypocrisy
conseryationists, but also showed
just what that policy, to which he
has given years of his life and made
great sacrifice, means to the Ameri
can people. The Federal conserva
ton program, as he outlined it, calls
for progressive as well as defensive
measures. The Roosevelt-Pinchot
plan of protecting the peoples her
itage would, if carried out, develop
every stream in the land in the in
terest of the public; provided that
all power sites now under Federal
or state control may be disposed of
only under lease for a limited time;
insure permanent public ownership
of all forests necessary for the pub
lie welfare; protect existing forests
and provide for sufficient reforesta-
ton to supply the needs of the COM
ing generations; forest lands would
be taxed annually on the land value
alone, and by taxing the timber crop
when it is cut would encourage pri-
vate forestry; land monopoly and
excessive holdings would not be toll
Grated, and the object of the ma
tons land policy would be the maxi
ing and maintenance of permanent,
prosperous homes; publicly owned,
tillable land within and without the
national forests would be disposed OF
to actual home-makers, but not to
spectators; the fertility OF cuitivat
ed lands would be preserved by the
prevention of erosion; non-irrigab bic
arid public grazing lands would be
administered by the government in
the interests of small stockmen and
home makers until they could pass
directly into the hands of actual set
tiers; the rights to the surface of
from rights to the forest upon it and
the minerals beneath it, and each
would be held subject to separate
disposal; mineral lands remaining in
public ownership would not be sold,
but would be leased upon terms ia
Vorable to their development up to
the full requirements of the people;
lastly, national health service
would be established to act in co.
operation with similar state organi-
2ations for the purpose of lengthen .
ing life decreasing suffering and
promoting vigor and efficiency
among the masses.
Such a policy would prove OF in
calculab BILE benefit to the nation. but
cannot be carried out if the people
permit shortsighted or venal politi-
ians to fool them into approving of
ny compromise. Az Clifford Pinchot
veil says:
THE soft pedal ZIONIST
merely asks that conservation AS ap-
pliad snail be what they call rational.
are and sane. safe and sane legis-
rtion, as that expression is used by
he men who use it most, means
i' gislation not unfriendly to the
pntinued control OF our public af-
IRIS by the special interests. Safe
nd sane conservation, as that eX-
uression is used by these same men,
,neans conservation so carefully
-'rilized that II will do the special
interests no harm and the people no
good"
Now that the people have the
special interests on the run they
should see to it that the nation gets
not serilized conservation, but that
pure. fun strength conservation
needed to insure the perpetuity and
prosperity of the republic.-San
Francisco Bulletin.