The silver state. [volume] (Winnemucca, Nev.) 1909-1925, 1910-08-20
RATIONAL IDEA
OF CONSERVATION
Especial to Silver State J

Our public lands should be used for the
purposes to which they are best adapt
ed, but not abused; the mines should be
made to give up their wealth, but not
destroyed; the timber should be cut in
such manner as not to wipe out our
forests, and our water powers should
be developed as we need them for hun
dreds OF civilizing purposes all over
the Rocky mountain and Pacific
states. -
). j. Browne, of Spokane, president
of the Western Conservation League
and head of chain of banks in Wash
lngton and Idaho, appointed by Mayor
Nelson ). Pratt as chairman of dele
CATION of five prominent business and
professional men to represent the city
OF Spokane at the sessions of the Ma
tlonal Conservation congress in st.
Paul, September 5 to 9, said this in dis.
cussing the question of jurisdiction over
public lands and water powers.
"To carry out the ideas of the ultra
conservationists in this matter of fed
eral control of our public lands and wa.
ter powers. mineral, forest and other
hhtul itSOuiCtS, ne duutu, WOull
greatly retrd the development of the
northwest and Pacific states and Alas
ka, without adequate compensation to
the nation as whole The average
conservationist has been made to take
an extreme position on this important
question, owing largely to having only
one-sided information. But there is
another side. which in fairness ought
TO be understood.
1.-THE total horsepower of water in
the United States is estimated at &C.,
51s,500, and of this more than one
third is in Washington, Oregon, Idaho
and western Montana. Less than 500,-
600 horsepower is developed. 1t may
also be noted that nearly all the re-
naming public lands are located in the
Rocky mountain and Pacific states and
Alaska. East of the Mississippi river
are 20 900, 900 horsepower of water and
only 100000 developed
I'm the Columbia river valley, be-
tween the Rocky mountains on the
east and the Cascades on the west,
there is sufficient water for all purposes
Of the present day and for generations
to come, including the operation of all
the railroads and irrigation pojects we
shah ever need. all the manufacturing
we shall ever do and all the cities we
shall ever build. That water power is
so great that if 10000 horsepower of it
on an average should be developed ev
cry year ii would take 2,400 years be
fore all of it would be in use, and when
once in use il would be so for all time.
If we were to harness 100000 horse
power year. II would require more
than 240 years to develop all of it.
"Water powers are local and confin-
ed in their operation to comparatively
small areas. Each community needs
power TO manufacture its raw materi-
ais If the land upon which these pow
ers are located is restored to entry un-
der existing laws. the titles for the
most part will go to bona fide settlers
living in the several communities, and
will largely be developed by local capi-
tai. Water powers on public lands are
not located in cities, but in the wilder
ness or in sparsely settled districts, and
| if the power should be large one, it
will take many years for its full de-
velopment. No man can afford to de-
vote his time and money developing
such a power under leasehold He
needs the title in fee simple. He is not
building for himself alone, but for
posterity.
"The government should cancel its
withdrawal of those lands and dispose
of them to the people who need them
and will use them. In the very nature
of the ease there can be no monopoly IN
this matter. The states respectively
own the water in the rivers within their
boundaries, subject only to the ri
of navigation which is controlled by
! federal government. This principle is
so generally recognized that every
read lawyer is familiar with the de
cisions of courts justifying it
"Each state has full power to regu-
late the water powers within its boun-
daries and the federal government
should either give the settler the title
in fee simple to those lands. or turn the
lands containing water powers and coal
land minerals over to the states. The
present policy is retarding develop
ment. and progress must soon cease un'
LESS it can be changed. The people
should be given every opportunity to
develop the country in which they live
As the state already owns the water
why should il not own the land alsoi
All these lands, with coal and mineral
and other deposits should be turned
lover to to the states. which alone have
the power to take and to regulate the
industries that may result from these
mineral resources. !.
"Manv water powers in our terri
/ tory. including a large number along
! lshe Snake river, have been Withdrawn
bv the government recently, and the re-
suit today is that numerous prolect'
n establish manufactures are held up
Capitalists and owners of factories :, n
the New England, eastern and middle
western states would operate more
I mills and plants in our country, nut .u,a "h
: der existing regulations, which ! @ nolo
! are unlawful, these men cannot secure sec r.
!. the land they umst have If they are - -
develop the power. Under the old law wv
a (which gave any person the right 70 se
: llect land and develop power the aon wsoe'
nower Of the east has all been develop
"a II Is in private hands and mas peer
"A from the beginning"
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