The Bemidji daily pioneer. [volume] (Bemidji, Minn.) 1904-1971, 1914-04-07
CONGRESS MAY
ADOPT Lane PLAN
Conservation Commission Suggestion
Appears to be Most Definite Of Any
Yet made Comprise Experts
STUDIES RAILROAD CONDITIONS
President Wilson Must Decide I'm
portant Question in Figuring Pro-
per Route for Alaska Road
BY Congressman c. H. Tayenner

BY Congressman G. H. Tavenner.
Washington, April Tt is be-
ginning to look as If the Wilson adj
ministration will settle for all time
the question of the conservation of
natural resources in this country
Secretary Lanes proposal for a
Conservation Commission which
shall decide all questions of
conversation and settle upon all
policies of the development of
public resources is the most
definite plan for settled policy that
has yet been made. ~ t..
Under the present disconnected
system any question of conservation
is practically matter for the
joint action of the Presidents cab
met Public lands are under the
jurisdiction of the Interior Depart
ment. The Department of Agrt-
culture has control of the national
forests. The Secretary of War is
charged with responsibility for the
waterpower still owned by the peo-
pie. Above all of them is the At
torney-General who decides upon the
legality of any executive action.
Secretary Lane would centralize
conservation within a commission,
composed of men expert on the sub
ject and carefully selected so as to
be beyond the Influence of those who
would exploit the public resources
for private gain.
A subject allied with conservation,
as it is popularity understood, is the
control of floods in American rivers.
The Newlands bill, which by means
Of reservoirs, forestration at head
waters of streams, dredging and dix
ing aims to keep our unruly rivers
under control, has been referred by
the President to committee of cab
met officers, who are about ready to
report fayorably on it.
Rockefeller Salaries for Government
Employees sr
Senator Kenyon has called at
tention to the fact that numbers of
men on the roll of the Department of
Agriculture are actually paid salaries
by the Rockefeller foundation. The
fact is that the government for some
years has cooperated with the Gen.
eral Education Board in various
forms of agricultural education work.
Employees engaged in this work are
listed as government employees and
are paid from the Treasury the sal
airy of 81 per year each. =. The rest
of their salaries comes from the Gen.
eral Education Board, which in turn
receives much of it's support from the
Rockefeller foundation.
Washington May Get Government
Street Cars
There is good reason to believe
that the Crosser bill, providing for
government ownership of the tray
tion Lines of the city of Washington,
will he reported favorably by the
committee. If this bill comes be-
fore the House it is almost certain
of passage, since the members of
Congress are Disguised with, the sort
of h,vA
vately owned trolley companies,
while the financial records of these
corporations are none too savory. +
Senator Norris believes that the
sentiment in the Senate will favor
the passage of the bill, and there is
no question that if the bill comes to
President Wilson from Congress he
will sign it. Municipality owned
street cars in Washington would be
an experiment which would attract
the attention of the whole country
President Studying Alaska Railroad
Routes
President Wilson has literally ia
ken the Alaska railroad problem to
bed with him. One of the great
questions which his administration
must decide is that of routs to be fol-
lowed by the 1000 miles of rails au-
thorized by the bill which recently
passed Congress. Mr.. Wilson has
hung in his bedroom big map Of
Alaska and he studies it continually
routes which have been proposed.
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