The Sentinel=record., 1913-11-20
FAVOR FEDERAL
 WATER CONTROL
GlFFORD PiNcHoT AND OTHERS BELIEVE THE GOVERNMENT
 SHOULD CONTROL RIGHTS
Former Secretaries of the interior Win Victory in Conservation Con. gress.

Washington. Nov 19.-Proponeuts of federal control of water power rights, led by Gigord Pinchot, former chief forester; Henry l.. Sumson, for mer secretary of war and Walter l.. Fisher, and James R. Garfield. former secretaries of the interior, won vie tory today in the national conserya- ton congress here in the first test of strength on the paramount issue of the assemblage.
 By vote of 434 to 154 a motion 10 refer 10 the resolutions committee 1 that portion of the report of the com mittee on waterways which was unanimous, was voted down and the | report subsequently, was adopted without a roll call The test Of | strength came when, as a substitute | for a motion by MT Stimson to adopt the unanimous report E. T. Bryant, l of Tennessee championing the capsa | of state control of water rights, moved
 
 | The vote followed a day of lively de | bate in which the issue clearly de | fined was federal or state control Of waterways development in the future The result did not finally determine | the policy, however, as divergent re- ports from the committee on water ways now are in the hands of the res Olutions committee to be report d upon tomorrow. The majority of the committee. led by Prof Geo. F. Swan submitted a report proposing that he states be given voice in the grant ing of water power franchises.
 Clifford Pinchot, Mir Sumson and Joseph N Teal of Oregon offered minority views urging strict federal control of water righ.s with compen- sation 10 the government under cer- tain conditions for franchise prigil- eges. The unanimous report adopted referred only to certain general prin ciples l}pon which all could agree and the subject was thrown open for dis eussion early in the day upon motion of Mir Stimson. Q adopt this part Of the report
 Both sides in the debate yield I'd for a vote late in the day when Mir Bryant urged that the whole matter should 90 10 the resolutions commit tee The result was so overwhelm, ingly one-sided that the Pinchot fol | lowing tonight claimed that the re i port of the minority of the wa erways l
 ommlttee eventually would be adopt f ed.
 Delegates who supported the motion 10 refer the question to the resolu- lions committee came chiefly from Alabama, Arkansas, Colorado, Kan sas, Louisiana, Montana Nevada. New Mexico. south Carolina, Tennessee and Washington In the heat of the discussion during the day r w. Woo ten of Massachusetts anticipating that the supporters of state control would be in the minority yehemently declared that The delegates from Washington never will again intrude on national conservation congress.
 Early in the proceedings Mir. Pin chot was recognized by former Secre- tary Fisher who acted as chairman of the congress for the day to read the report Of the minority Later Mir Pinehot presented his views in a speech in which he declared that fed eral control was necessary to pre- vent the development of water power monopOles Subsequently the for mer chief forester and Prof Swain engaged in brief joint debate Tn which the latter accused Mir. Pinchot of receding from position he former
 y had taken MT Pinchot replied
 If the views l have expressed to .he congress amount to recession from my former views, it is a recession we'll taken"
 C. L. Watts. an Alabama delegate, | startled the congress by charging that | the vice president of the Alabama | water power company was a member l of the delegation to the congress from l that state and that there was a dark | laid plot to defeat the will of the ma iority in this congress.
 Tomorrow will be devoted to fores- try subjects until the resolutions com mittee is ready to report. Secretary of State Bryan will address the con gress but President Wilson who has been urged to welcome the delegates sent word to the executive committee tonight that it was so engrossed in the Mexican situation that he could l not appear