The Washington times., 1913-01-04
FERRIS UNABLE
TO SATISFY FOES
Oklahoma Congressman Says Opposition to Public Land
Charmanship Is Unfounded, But Enemies
Point to Record
BY JUDSON c. WELLIvER.

Congressman Scott Ferris of Okla
homa, protests that there is no justi-
fication for the opposition which the
conservationists are directing against
his selection as chairman of the House
Committee on Public Lands. He issued
statement today, which he believes
covers the ground: but IL has not served
to satisfy his opponents
IF Mr.. Ferris will state that he is in
favor Of our propositions" said a leader
in the conservation movement, "and can
prove by his record that he has been
consistently for them, there will be no
reason TO oppose him. The proposals
We want him to support are:
Leasing the grazing lands within the
Government domain.
THE Government TO be compensated
for the use of waterpowers.
The Government to reserve the right
to regulate rates on water power, II
the States do not exercise that right.
Retaining the national forests un-
der the Federal Government, as they
now are, instead Of turning them over
to the States. ,
Support Of the present administra-
ton of the national forests.
Opposition to the cession Of any of
the public domain to the States
"Mr Ferris cannot commit himself
to these propositions and prove by his
record that he favors them, because
the Record would disprove IT.
Point To Record.
He is not in favor of the now ac-
cepted idea of forest conservation, be-
cause he opposed the first Appalachian
and White Mountain reserve bill in the
Sixtieth Congress. and opposed the
Weeks bill in the Sixty-first Congress,
which is the basis for the creation OF
reservations in the White and the
Southern Appalachians to protect water
and stream flow.
Early in his Congressional career Mr..
Ferris introduced and was active In
Tree homesteads in Oklahoma without
restrictions of safeguards being thrown
around the grants.
When the Monden Alaska coal land
leasing bill was reported by the public
lands committee, Mr.. Ferris did not vote
against Ii. Instead, he voted present
Now, that bill was variously described
in the debate as not a conservation Dill,
but a bill that II enacted would pracu-
cally give away a large part Of our ma ma
uonal domain to men who have for
years been attempting to defraud the
Government out of its coal lands. This
bill was bitterly opposed by the real
conservationists, and was attacked by
many of the Democratic colleagues OF
Mr. Ferris. 1t provided for leasing ESQ
acres to one person or association, which
would have created monopoly. 1t LETT
also authority in the hands Of the Sec
retary absolutely 1t gave fraudulent
would have allowed the Cunningham
claims to go to patent. 1t provided no
safeguards against a tight monopoly OF
the Alaska coal fields
He Voted present"
Yet Mr.. Ferris did not vote against
that bill. He voted present
The water power question is the most
rar-reaching and vital, today in this
conservation campaign. In the Sixty
second Congress the Raker bill was con-
sIdered at length, and overwhelmingly
defeated. Let US see what that bill in
tended to accomplish. 1t would have
established precedent for water power
companies taking and using national
forests and public lands, without regard
TO rulings of the Government OF the
courts. Yet Mr.. Ferris strongly sup
ported the BILL When il was before the
House he handled the debate in favor
of 1t.
''If that bill had passed the prece-
dent would have been Immensely valu-
able to the Western water-power in
terests. 1t it had passed. the omnibus
land bill OF last session, carrying grants
for seventeen dam sites valued at s4j.-
O0,0o0 without compensation to the
Government or regulation OF rates to
consumers in case the States failed TO
regulate them. surely would have
passed.
1T was brought out on the floor and
openly charged in the debates that
costly and powerful lobby was working
for this bill. The National Conserva-
ton Association fought the measure
very hard. and President PInchot issued
circular attacking 1t as a concession
Of great value TO the Water-power