The evening times. [volume] (Grand Forks, N.D.) 1906-1914, 1911-09-29
Ballinger on the Portrayal of
Beaur0Cratic Government in i. S.

head. exploited at government ex-
pense. possesses nobler attributes and
greater ability than our neighbor who
represent US in congress. but Of whom
we get a closer and more accurate
view.
The extent to which bureaucratic
ambition may be carried can perhaps
be illustrated best by the scheme, at
n time seriously considered by GER
tain bureau heads, to ,dismember the
interior department by taking from
1t all those bureaus that had anything
to do with the public domain and, to-
gether with the forestry bureau. con-
centrate them in another department,
where their combined strength could
designed to operate the public do
main as a national estate for the con-
~servation of certain bureau chiefs. The
interior department a to be left
with the patent Office. the pension Of
nee and the eleemosynary institutions.
Even the national parks were to be
taken o 1t and patrolled by men
in green. uniforms: the grazing lands
were to be leased to the influential
and more powerful stockmen; the for
ests held or disposed of in conjunc-
ton with the timber barons; the min
eral lands mined or lease or royalty
to those who would contribute their
support to this pclitico-bureaucrati-
cal combination. and the water powers
and rights of way distributed on a
permit basis SO rs to hold the per-
mittee as a vassal to the service. Fin
ally agricultural lands. at least in re-
serves, were to be held on equally sub
servient and perilous tenure.
mo more gigantic political scheme
has ever been attempted in the his
fnrv 0f thu YAnSah1io TIE nnA4tA~A
danger has been in its appeal to SEN
timenta!ity and the deliberate and
persistent Misrepresentation Of facts:
as. for instance, that the coal would
be consumed in fifty years. the tim.
Der IN an equal period, the water
powers monopolized. the water sheds
denuded. and prosperity left naked
and unprotected. The good intentions
were all placed in the headlines-the
motives were masked in platitudes.
All of this had left the public in
the same condition as the man who
has been on a protracted drunk. with
his head swelled, his mind uncertain
and his purposes confused.
NO country, except Russia, which
adheres to the bureau idea, has un-
dertaken to treat the forests as ma
tional.
Germany. cited as a guide in for
] = NSGS AAo Ilc W lAC HdllUudI
forest idea. Her forests are held and
managed by and the revenue turned
into the several states; there are nc
imperial forests. We all know the
forests in our Rocky mountain states
are greatly dissimilar in character
Because of this fact the people Of the
states in which the forests stand know
best how they can be made to con.
tribute to the welfare of that state.
I am mt Ynnotnaf,,1 that o-,, -,-N
suggestion will be met with a TRADE
Of abuse from these who are inter.
ested In promoting the bureaucratic
idea of national conservation, and the
individual who has the temerity tc
make the suggestion will at once be
heralded as h agent of the interests;
possibly Of the Guggenheims, as they
have been made the convenient large,
for all such assaults. and the suRges.
ton will probably be attacked on tn.
ground that the states have failed tt
show a proper appreciation and abil,
tty to handle their own public lands
The very isolation Of Alaska anG
her i~nhospitable climate should NOV.
the government to give her create,
freedom of development in respect t.
her natural resources. She SHOULD
with bureaucracy. Government oper
alton Of her railways. her mines am
her other resources mean continued
defamation of her population and tn,
Withholding Of capital for investment
In any part Of that region. The fren
zied attitude of the doctrinaries ha,
already destroyed her markets 70;
capital and her natural wealth is II
a fair way to lie dormant until sh,
ceases to be a political football ant
sanity again prevails in the publ,
mind"
Here Mr.. BalInger made what wa,
regarded as a reply to Mr.. Fisher:
THE reformer says the hands O
the clock turn backward, bu
is he always sure the reforms he ad
vocates are not the renewal of dis
carded doctrines which were in thei
day the antithesis of reform? Ar,
We progressing when we advocate tn,
doctrines Of federal operations agains
which every line of the constitution
cries out? Is 1t progress to the ad
Vancement OF popular rights to Civ,
unbrfndled power to bureaucrats? No
1t Is going back to the evils We strur
gled to emancipate ourselves from
Again. ts 1t progress and sound reform
to say we will nc longer tolerate tn,
system which gave a fee simple it'll
to the Industrious and courageou
~prospector and settler in the publ
lands: q system which has made tn,
great mass Of our people home build
ers and. the builders Of new common
wealths stored with wealth and ciyi,
progress .unrivaled in all the rang,
OF human %endeavor?"