The San Francisco call., 1913-07-18
P|NCHOT BLAMED
FOR COAL FAMINE
IN CALIFORNIA
Former Congressman Nc
Kinlay Says Former Chief
Forester Is Merely a
Grower of Trees
ALASKA FUEL WILL
BUILD UP INDUSTRY
Supply in Sight, Declares
Speaker, Will Last Coun-
try 1000 Years
ALASKA FUEL WILL
BUILD UP INDUSTRY

Clifford Pinchot was blamed for the
existence Of a coal famine" in Cali
fornia by former Congressman Duncan
McKinlay. speaking to 100 manufactur-
ers before the Home Industry League
terday.
Mr.. McKinlay detailed the history OF
the Alaskan coal situation. explaining
the difficulties of acquiring titles to
coal lands and the impossibilities OF
developing them as a result of federal
laws. He spoke OF the need of cheap
coal for the promotion of mapufactur-
ing industries, declaring the only thing
that kept San Francisco bay from be-
g Ing the greatest manufacturing district
in America was the lack of cheap coal
TO smelt iron. Alaska coal, he said,
could be sold at 81 a ton in this city.
California has more iron than half
the states of the union" said Mr.. Nc
Kinlay Iron is the king of all in
dustries. 1t is iron that has made
Pittsburg and the other great eastern
manufacturing centers, and the iron
industries are what we need out here.
The making OF pig iron at prices to
compete with the east requires cheap
coal. Until we can open up Alaskan
coal our iron treasures must remain
nnworkcd
PINCHoT GROWER OF TREES
THE tying up Of Alaska is the re-
suit of one mans ambition Clifford
Pinchot student of the forestry sys-
tenn Of Germany, returned TO saddle its
weight upon US. a grower OF trees
turned an adiudicator of titles, with the
result that excepting two, no titles TO
coal lands have been granted by the
government in Alaska.
Our trouble lies in the complexion
OF our congress Most of the senate is
eastern, and the house of representa-
siives stands 400 to 40 eastern. The east
has no public lands TO speak of. 1t has
disposed of them and received revenue
from their sale. 1t now proposes to
share in our lands, expecting to give
us % per cent from the sale of our
public properties, the remaining 20 per
cent to revert to the forestry fund in
Washington. We must resist this pro-
pOsal, as we are entitled to the pro-
ceeds Of our lands as the eastern states
were entitled to the creation of their
school funds therefrom in their time.
One fifth of the United States is in
public lands. Great resources are rep
resented for use by all industries.
Pinchot's policy was to fence the land
IN and the men out; to transport the
European forestry system and tie up
the public lands rather than people
them with homesteads His plan of
buying back the watersheds of the east
ern mountains for reforesting threat
ened to plunge the country into fnan-
cial abyss
GREAT FINANCIAL PROBLEM
Congress was confronted with the
problem of eXpending $700.000,000 for
tie recovery Of lands. This was only
preliminary, as every congressman had
some to sell Failing in this. Pinchot
then evolved the ingenious proposition
of purchasing these holdings from the
proceeds of the sale of public lands in
the west. thus depriving western states
Of money that was rightfully theirs.
That Pinchot's statements were not
always reliable appears from the fact
that he announced the United States
available coal supply was sufficient only
fot ) years more. Investigation by the
federal geological department demon
strates that the blocked out measures
Of coal yet untouched are enough to
last for the next Z 1000 years.
The Panama canal viii bring US
small benefit unless the Alaskan coal
deposits are accessible to US. for then
we can have great iron and steel manu-
featuring plants to offer employment to
the immigrants.
a feature of the meeting was the
formal installation OF Charles Reed
Thorburn as secretary OF the league TO
succeed David II. Walker.