Omaha daily bee., 1910-02-09
PINCHOT ON PROPOSED LAWS
Head of Conservation Association Re-
views Pending Legislation.
WEAK SPOTS POINTED OUT
Nelson's Bill, He Says, should Have
Unqualified suppOrt-Coal Bill
Correct I'm Principle, Hut
Needs Amendment.

WASHINGTON, Feb. S.-The necessity
for the present session OF congress of good
laws for the protection Of the natural re-
sources OF the United States is the keynote
of a report just mad to the National Con-
~servation association by Clifford Pinchot,
the recently chosen president of the assoc
citation. Mr.. Pinchot takes up in what he
calls "a spirit Of constructive criticism" the
nine bills relating to the conservation of
natural resources introduced into congress
on January Is on behalf of the secretary Of
the interior, one of which has been reported
from the senate public lands committee,
while the other eight are still in the hands
OF the comittee.
Mr.. Ptnchot calls upon the members of the
association to put forth strong efforts to
have enacted into law the bill on the with
drawal of public ands, which has been re-
ported from the committee by Senator Mel
son after it had been amended as a result
In part, at least. of conferences between
the committee and officers of the conserva-
ton association. This bill, Mr.. Pinchot
thinks, should have the unqualified sup
port Of the members Of the association. Z"
OF the other eight bills, he believes that
some merely require amendment, while
others must be recast altogether.
Bills Sound in Principle.
The coal bill and the phosphate, oil, as
phaltum and natural gas bill. he reports
are fundamentally sound In principle, but
need some amendment. They wisely sep
arate, he says, the. surface of the land
from the underlying minerals and provide
for the disposal Of the minerals by lease
and not by sale.
But the coal BILL" he objects, contains
no sufficient anti-monopoly clause. The
clause which proposes to regulate rates to
be charged the public is so framed that it
may be evaded with care"
Another clause of the bill, he adds, may
reduce the standard of mining to the waste
full level of the prevailing commercial
practice"
Railroads and Forests.
In regard to the bin for the survey Of
railroad land grants, he expresses the opin-
ion that it will enable the railroads prop
erly to perfect etles to their lands, but it
overlooks the long pending understanding
between certain of the roads and the forest
service for the return OF railroad lands
within the national forests OF the United
States in return for the right to cut in one
body an amount of timber equal to that
on the lands returned"
This understanding he says requires only
legislation to make it effective.
Speaking OF the water power bill, Mr..
Pinchot declared, 1T repeats in silence the
existing water power law, and curtails the
already ample power now exercised, with
the approval of a former attorney general,
by the Department of Agriculture.
The provision in the bill for the compen-
sation to the government by the companies,
- -
be protected from private appropriation
under the land laws, he says. and it should
be made possible to Issue to the companies
permits terminating at the end of fifty
years.
LOOphOle I'm Reclamation Bill.
The fault found by Mr.. Pinchot with the
reclamation bin is that It opens reclaimed
lands to absentee landlords and to specula-
tors.
The worst feature of the bill for the sale
OF timber and timber lands. he declares is
that it replaces the Objectionable feature
of the timber and stone act, which was the
inducement to speculation in government
timber, with provisions which promote
speculation and retard the development OF
agricultural and mineral lands far beyond
the act 1t repeats.
In failing to separate the surface from
the underlying minerals, the bill for the
classification of public lands is incon-
sistent with the coal bill, he finds.
'The withdrawal bill as amended and
reported by Senator Nelson makes easy, "
says Mr.. Pinchot. the protection of all
natural resources on the public dnmSin un-
til good laws can be passed
The whole influence OF the conservation
association, he declares should be thrown
behind the bill.