New-York tribune., 1911-12-05
P|NCHOT GIVES ADVICE
Appears Before Legislative Conn.,
mittee on Conservation.
ROOSEVELT SENDS LETTER
EX- President Prefers Leasing
Water Rights to Government
Ownership Plan.

The Joint Legislative Committee on the
Conservation ana Utilization of Water
Power resumed its sessions Yesterday
morning at the Hotel KnicKerbocker. Gif-
ford Pinchot gave his ideas on the problem
and letters were received from Theodore
Roosevelt and Charles =. Steiumctz.
As soon as the session opened Arthur j.
Baldwin. counsel to the committee, called
Mir pinchot. ana explained to the witness
that the committee was charged with the
investigation of the problem Of water con-
servation and with the recommendation Of
scheme Of legislation and such necessary
constitute 1nJ amendments as might seem
proper
Aftor replying TO Mr.. Baldwin that ne
would be glad to give all the Information
on the subject that he could, Mr Pinchot
said in part:
When the question Of water power de-
veopment on public lands first came up IN
large way through the Inland Water
ways Commission in March, l5i', the gov
eTumcnt had been in the hdDlt OF SlNlnS
away on request forever and for nothing,
through Confessional action, amy water
power Or navlgable streams iu TN" public
domain which anybody wanted TO ask FOR.
The passage of water power bills through
Congress was. as q rule, mere tormaity,
and although the law regarding public
lands was 80 drawn as 10 permit the sec
rotary OF the interior to revoke ,he per
mission at any time IL was assumed by
the government and by the water power
men that the revocation clause didn't mean
what it said and that they had control
forever.
We began by laying down the proposition
that the government, having the right 10
give or not 20 give permission 10 construct
these powers, had also the right To attach
conditions and that b. was against the
utblic interest to allow these powers TO
pass forever out of the public hands, and
that the public ought 60 be compensated
for what tht water power men got The
attitude of the water power men, ON the
other hand. was that We had no right or
equity i'm law to make any such contention.
Aftpr a number of years OF this COutCu-
ton at the beginning of which the power
companies occupied the general attitude
tb,t they were in control, ana toward the
end of whicu they have come to occupy
What think Is the wiser attitude. that The
Government is u control, Wc have finally
reached a cOmptomi-r on the line that the
| government is i'm control and that tn" pub
/ lie rights must bc considered first.
Water power development should. Of
course. be conducted. first with AN eye to
puLlic interest and. second. with AN eye 10
i,ubIic profit. ] imagine that here i'm New
/ No,l there Us less necessity for insisting
an that point than elsewhere. hut In the
If.ti0nH field We found water power SITES
I Ieiug taken up JOY various interests ana
] held for speculative advances In Nau,.
| NJ nut an end Co that i'm the national
I forests by requiring prompt development
/ Immediately upon the issuance of a per-
The second point which We found to be
Of great impOrtauce was that of making
development complete. Water powers We're
I f,f.ud ip considerable numbers 10 be taxi
ing up powers and developing the cheapest
I way they could, iu such a way as to make
/ the development of the rest of the power
| impossible. That We found it very ncces-
earv 10 put an end to-
| The development must be carly and
r1auncd IN advance as the state Of New
! York is now undertaking to carry the work
on. and every stream ought to be- devcl-
ored not only fOl power. but also for do
! M, site use. for NAVIGATION and ina the West
! for irrigation. too, so as 10 give the maxi
mrm use to the most people, planning for
tbat from the start
! We have no right an this time TO bind our
! Successors in perpcruity or beyond fifty
years 60 conditions OF power development
! or power use which are good now but
iucquitablc al the end Of that time
/ In the same way ] have always held that
whatever charge the power companies
! ought to pay to the public for the use of
/ their power should be known i'm advance
duriu. the period of their franchise.
/ In reply to queries by the commissions
/ Mt chot outlined the irrigation work
/ cf The government in which ne explained
/ that the original plan was to have IL con-
| fined 10 public lands. but the appropriation
II public lands had gone So far IL was not
! feasible 10 do so lie said hc was not
| sure as To whether or not the government
essesscd the hand Of those who did not
| join in the irrigation project
After the completion of the project. ac-
cCrding 70 Pinchot the government turns
/ thc project over 20 be- handled by the users
association, ana the men who are getting
the water either ON public or private lands
/ pay in ten-y"ar instalmcnts. The govern
mcnt. so Gar as bee was aware. had never
Iottompted 10 exercise the power Of taxa
! ton for the bcnodciarcs' benefit upon the
land in connection with this reclamation
act.
Commissioner Baldwin said. "Onc of the
problems that confront The committee g.
what 10 dn with the ncn-asacnting pow,,
owner along tho. stream Whether tn,
state should enforce a benefit upon him ara
attempt To tax him therefor is the prob.
lcin.' Mr. l1nch0t replied that the powc.
cWrcr should ho made 90 pay DBL. share
Artcr Mr Phchot finished h. tstirno D..
. lrtifT n 1m tN-ltte4,tsut I.n.r.tsft t,.,.