Dakota farmers' leader. (Canton, S.D.) 1890-19??, 1914-03-20
of repeating the tolls exemption clause,

This railroad matter is entering into
the present trouble in congress over
the question of the repeal of the tolls
exemption clause of the cana act.
There are men ready to say that the
coaster ships can carry their cargoes
from the East oas to the West coast
through the Panama canal and beat
the railroads on cost n on charges.
There are others who say that the
real reason for the demand for the
repeal of the exemption clause is that
it is demanded by the transcontinental
railroads. Somebody may have to
prove something before this present
trouble of the administration is abat-
ed. Listen to Senator Chamberlain
of Oregon and o are inclined to be
lieve one thing, and then listen te
Senator Root and you may be inclined
to believe another thing.
Persuaded by MIR. 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 i'll 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 ID
favor of granting what amounts to a
subsidy Of American vessels sailing
north and south. 1t would be a curl
Gus thing If a Democratic house with
in two weeks of the big gathering at
Baltimore had repudiated n OF the
planks of the platform.
Now some of the Democrats are
saying that time has brought a dlf-
ferent viewpoint II administration
were substituted for time the
Democratic u%tterance 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 ike
ly is a righteous proceeding, but 1t IS
none the less a curious one.
Pinchot Scores a Point.
A 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 it a compromise,
for the federal conservationists really
Won q victory. Secretary OF War Ga!
r1son 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
l~inger-Ptnchot trouble which occurred
during the Taft administration, wrote
a letter attacking a bill which was
introduced by Senator Martin OF Viz
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 his 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
SlllSC IL Hlol CSoAl q Aot2SiiNA sNSS
ton. The bill makes no pre- vision for
payment to the public in return for
the great values it 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 bin shall not pass"
Garrison Backs Pinehot.
Few such letters as this have ap-
peared in years in open and bold at
tack on a measure proposed by q
gress. One has to go back some years
to find it's counterpart P1nchot wrote
one much like it, Or at n 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 lam bill. The day after Mr..
| Pirchot's last letter appeared con-
gressmen and the public were amazed
BY the appearance Of L statement from
Secretary of War Garrison to the effect
that Mr.. Pinchot was right in his con-
tention, and that the secretary raj
| led unwittingly to give approval to a
bill Of whose terms he knew little.
Congress now has before it a wa
ter power regulation plan which has
the approval Of the administration. It
is not a bill. probably, with which a
majority of the Democratic members
of congress feel sympathy.
Briefly, the administrations water
power policy will be to keep the O n
troll Of power sites in government
hands. The last word OF permission
to do this or to do that. must come
from the secretary Of war. Those
who wish to dam a navigable stream
and incidentally create water power
must at the present obtain the right
to do SO from their state, and then
must obtain authority from the con-
gress." Under the bill the individual
state is given greater authority in the
cases than 1t had before, but checks
are provided and Uncle Sam main
tains the control and the right to
! guard the interests OF his wards.
In X a business. the college