Rocky Ford enterprise., 1914-03-13


to believe another thing.
Persuaded by Mr.. Wilson.
Senator Shively of Indiana is act
ing chairman of the senate commit
tee on foreign relations. Senator
Stone, the senior Democrat of the
committee, is still Ill and unable to
attend to his duties. The toll exemp-
ton provision of the canal act was
passed by congress only fifteen days
after the Democratic convention ad-
journed. The party was on record In
favor of granting what amounts to
subsidy of American vessels sailing
north and south. 1t would be curl
GUS thing II Democratic house with
in two weeks of the big gathering at
Baltimore had repudiated one of the
planks of the platform.
Now some of the Democrats are
saying that time has brought diff
ferent viewpoint. II administration
were substituted for time" the
Democratic utterance probably would
be nearer the truth. Mr.. Wilson de-
sires the repeal of the exemption
clause. Probably his party. after hav-
Ing done one thing. will do the re-
verse thing at his order. 1t very like
ly is a righteous proceeding. but 1t is
none the less a curious one.
Position Of tho Opponents.
Members of congress who are eager
for large appropriations for rivers and
harbors also are eager that the tolls
exemption provision shall stand as 1t
Is. This is natural, for the waterway
commerce men are proponents OF
means of communication which act as
checks on railway rate extortions, or
at any rate are supposed SO to do.
The rivers and harbors advocates
make no secret of their opposition
and it is impossible for them to make
any secret OF the reason for attack
ing 1t.
Plnchot Scores a Point.
compromise has been made be-
tween the conservationists who be-
lieve in federal control and those who
have stood by states dights. Perhaps
1t is not right to call 1t compromise,
for the federal conservationists really
won a victory. Secretary of War Gar
rison struck one of his flags to Gift
ford Pinchot and did it with the ap-
parent approval of Woodrow Wilson.
A few days ago President Pinchot OF
the National Conservation association.
who, as everybody knows. was once
chief forester OF the government, and
one of the center figures in the Bal
linger-P inchot trouble which occurred
during the Taft administration, wrote
a letter attacking a bill which was
introduced by Senator Martin Of Vir-
ginia, chairman of the senate commit
tee on appropriations. Secretary of
War Garrison gave his approval to
Senator Martins bill. which was known
as the Roanoke river dam bill. Con-
corning this bill Mr.. Pinchot wrote:
The enactment into law of the Ro-
anoke river dam bill. now on the cal
endar and likely to be acted upon In
the senate within the next few days.
threatens to be the most serious blow
the conservation policy has received
since 1t first became a national ques-
ton. The bill makes no provision for
payment to the public in return for
the great values 1t turns over to pri-
vate hands. 1t provides no safeguards
against either monopoly or extortion-
ate charges to the consumer. Since
1907 the fight for water power has
been the heart of the conservation
fight, and that is true now. 1t is of
critical Importance that the Roanoke
river dam bill shall not pass
Garrison Backs Pinehot.
Few such letters as this have APP
peared in years in open and bold at
tack on measure proposed by con-
gress. One has to go back some years
to find its counterpart. Pinchot wrote
one much like it. or at any rate ut
tered words much like those in the
present letter. at the time that a Re
publican congress was trying to put
through what was called the James
river dam bill. The day after Mr..
Pinchot's last letter appeared con-
gressmen and the public were amazed
by the appearance of statement from
Secretary of War Garrison to the effect
that Mr.. Pinchot was right in his con
tention, and that the secretary was
led unwittingly to give approval to a
bill of whose terms he knew little.
1t now appears that Mr.. Garrison
found on his desk one morning a
large amount of material to sign. 1t
is the custom in the department to at
tach little red tag TO every letter
or document which 1t is of prime i'm.
portance that the secretary should
read before signing. There is vast
amount of routine matter which it is
not necessary for a cabinet officer to
read. and so the custom has risen to
attach the red tag to those things
which he must read. Either there was
no red tag attached to the Roanoke
river dam bill or else the secretary
overlooked it and gave his approval
without knowledge of its contents.