The Salt Lake tribune. [volume] (Salt Lake City, Utah) 1890-current, 1913-11-20
ADVOCATES Of
STATE CONTROL
ARE DEFEATED
Fight Over Water Power
Rights in National Conser-
vation Congress Results
in Pinchot Victory.
NATTER WILL COME
UP IN ANOTHER FORM
Proponents of Federal Con.
troll Feel, However, That
Eventually Their View
VIII Prevail.

WASHINGTON Nov. 19.-PTopo-
nents Of federal control of water power
rights, led by Clifford Pinchot, former
chief forester; Henry L. Stimson, for.
mer secretary of war. and Walter l..
Fisher and James r. Garfield. former
secretaries of the interior, won a vic
tory today in the National Conserva-
tion congress here in the first test of
strength on the paramount issue Of the
assemblage.
BY vote of 434 TO l54 motion 10
refer to the resolutions committee that
portion of the report Of the committee
ou waterways which was unanimous,
vas voted down. and the report subse-
quently adopted without rollcal. The
test of strength came when. as a sub
stitute for motion by Mr.. stimson to
adopt the unanimous report, c. T. Bry-
ant of Tennessee, championing the
cause of state control of water rights,
moved that the report 60 to the COM
mittee. The vote followed a day of
lively debate in which the issue, clearly
defined, was federal or state control of
waterway development in the future.
Not Finally Determined.
The result did not finally determine
the policy, however, as divergent re-
ports from the committee on waterways
are now in the hands of the resolutions
committee to be reported tomorrow,
The majority of the committee, led by
Professor George f. Swain, submitted
report proposing that the states be
given voice in the granting of water
power franchises.
Clifford Pinchot, Mr. Stimson and Jo-
seph ". Teal of Oregon offered minor
ity views urging strict federal control
Of all water rights with compensation
to the government under certain condi
tions for franchise privileges. The
unanimous report adopted referred only
to certain general principles upon
which all could agree and the subject
was thrown open for discussion early in
the day upon motion of Mr.. Stimsou to
adopt this part of the report.
Claim Victory.
Both sides in the debate yielded for
a vote late in the day when Nj Bryant
urged that the whole matter should 60
to the resolutions COMMITTEES The re.
suit was so Overwhelmingly one-sided
that the Pinchot following tonight
claimed that the report of the minority
Of the waterways committee eventually
would be adopted.
Delegates who supported the motion
TO refer the question to the resolutions
committee came chiefly from Alabama,
Arkansas, Colorado, Kansas. Louisiana,
Montana, Nevada, New Mexico, South
Carolina, Tennessee and Washington
In the heat of the discussion Dudley G.
Wooten of Washington, anticipating
that the supporters Of state control
would be in the minority, vehemently
declared that the delegates from Wash
ington 'fwould never again intrude on
National Conservation congress,
Pinchot Active.
Early in the proceedings Mr.. Pinchot
was recognized by former Secretary
Fisher, who acted as chairman Of the
congress for the day, to read the report
of the minority. Later Mr.. Pinchot pre-
sented his views in a speech in which